Blood concentrations of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-α, and Interleukin-6 in relation to insulin resistance in young adolescents.

Background: We assessed the association of insulin resistance as indicated by the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) with inflammatory molecules, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in urban young adolescents.

Methods: Seventy-six adolescents (36 subjects with HOMA-IR ≥ 2.6 and 40 subjects with HOMA-IR < 2.6) were included in the study. We assessed anthropometric and laboratory measures, such as BMI, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, liver enzymes, and lipid profiles along with the aforementioned inflammatory biomarkers. The diagnostic accuracy of LBP, hs-CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6 for insulin resistance was evaluated by using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results: The mean age of the study subjects was 12.0 [12.0-13.0] y. Circulating LBP plasma concentration and hs-CRP were significantly increased in subjects with HOMA-IR ≥ 2.6 when compared with those with HOMA-IR < 2.6 (P < .0001). There was no difference in TNF-α or IL-6 concentrations between groups. Comparisons based on the area under the ROC curve for LBP, hs-CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6 with regard to insulin resistance (HOMA-IR ≥ 2.6) were 0.8384 (95% CI: 0.7380 to 0.9388), 0.7907 (95% CI: 0.6701 to 0.9113), 0.6207 (95% CI: 0.4770 to 0.7643), and 0.5763 (95% CI: 0.4285 to 0.7241), respectively.

Conclusions: Among LBP, hs-CRP, TNF-α, and IL-6, plasma LBP has the greatest diagnostic accuracy for insulin resistance in young adolescents. Prospective studies are warranted to delineate the value of LBP in the prediction of insulin resistance.