Immune activation cytokines and metabolic risk factors in adults with metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by low-grade chronic inflammation and by an abnormal or dysregulated immune system. The connection between activated T-cells, by inflammatory cytokines and by different groups of metabolic abnormalities is not completely understood. This study aimed to investigate the associations of T-cell immune markers and inflammatory cytokines with metabolic syndrome and the number of its individual components. The study is a cross-sectional analysis including 300 adults with and without MetS. Patients with MetS were significantly older and had higher BMI (31.7 ± 5.34 vs. 27.9 ± 4.72 kg/m 2 , p < 0.001), glucose levels (6.99 ± 3.07 vs. 4.85 ± 0.89 mmol/L, p < 0.001) and HbA1c (6.63 ± 1.72% vs. 5.48 ± 0.66%, p < 0.001) than patients without MetS. Furthermore, patients with MetS had higher absolute numbers of CD3 + HLA-DR + T-cells (0.10 ± 0.06 vs. 0.08 ± 0.04 × 10 9 cells/L, p = 0.019), of CD4 + CD25 + T cells(0.06 ± 0.03 vs. 0.05 ± 0.03 × 10 9 cells/L, p = 0.006), of IL-6 (3.62 ± 1.15 vs. 2.40 ± 0.93 pg/mL, p < 0.001), of IL-8 (24.7 ± 9.29 vs. 17.5 ± 7.51 pg/mL, p = 0.002) and of hsCRP (4.03 ± 2.75 vs. 2.54 ± 1.22 mg/L, p = 0.002). The number of MetS components was associated with higher concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, hsCRP, and levels of T-cell activation marker expression. In the multivariate model, age, female sex, prolonged sitting time, and hsCRP remained independently associated with MetS. Our findings support a coordinated immunometabolic dysfunction in MetS.