Influence of Body Mass Index on Subclinical Atherosclerotic and Oxidative Stress Parameters in Human Leukocytes - ICCAD 2017 - The 12th International Congress on Innovations in Coronary Artery Disease , 15-17 October, 2017 Venice, Italy

Zaida Abad ¹ Sandra Lopez-Domenech ¹ Irene Escribano-López ¹ Francesca Iannantuoni ¹ Aranzazu M de Marañon ¹ Noelia Diaz-Morales ¹ Susana Rovira-Llopis ¹ Celia Bañuls ¹ Antonio Hernandez-Mijares ^1,3 victor victor ^1,2,4 Milagros Rocha ^1,2

¹Endocrinology, Service of Endocrinology and Nutrition, University Hospital Doctor Peset-FISABIO, Valencia, Spain
²Pharmacology, 2CIBER CB06/04/0071 Research Group. CIBER Hepatic and Digestive Diseases, Department of Pharmacology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
³Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
⁴Physiology, Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

Introduction: Oxidative stress has been related to obesity in adipocytes of human white adipose tissues, although little is known about underlying leukocyte mechanisms involved in endothelial dysfunction in obese patients. Therefore, this study was performed to evaluate the relationship between leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions and oxidative stress parameters in non-diabetic patients with different grades of obesity.
Patients and Methods: Two hundred and twenty-five subjects were recruited and divided into groups according to BMI (2, 30-40 kg/m² and >40 kg/m²). We determined clinical parameters, inflammatory markers, soluble cellular adhesion molecules, leukocyte-endothelium cell interactions and oxidative stress parameters and mitochondrial membrane potential.
Results: We verified that HOMA-IR and hsCRP increased progressively as obesity developed, whereas A1c, IL6 and TNFα – were augmented in the BMI>40 group. The cellular adhesion molecule sP-selectin was increased in obese patients, while sICAM, total ROS, total superoxide and mitochondrial membrane potential were selectively higher in the BMI>40 group. Obesity induced a progressive decrease in rolling velocity and an enhancement of rolling flux. The regression model showed a positive correlation of BMI and A1c with rolling flux, whereas total superoxide and HOMA-IR and mitochondrial membrane potential were negative predictors of rolling velocity and adhesion, respectively.
Conclusion: Our findings prompt the hypothesis that morbid obesity is related to an increase in subclinical atherosclerotic and oxidative stress markers in leukocytes, but that the enhancement in mitochondrial membrane potential prevents adhesion of leukocytes to the endothelium, suggesting a protective role against the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

This study was financed by grants PI16/1083, PI16/00301; GV/2016/169, UGP15-193, and UGP15-220 and by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF “A way to build Europe”).