ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER Contribution of gender and body fat distribution to inflammatory marker concentrations in apparently healthy young adults Helen Hermana M. Hermsdorff • Ana Carolina P. Volp • Blanca Puchau • Kiriaque B. F. Barbosa • M. A ´ ngeles Zulet • Josefina Bressan • J. Alfredo Martı ´nez Received: 30 May 2011 / Revised: 24 August 2011 / Accepted: 23 December 2011 / Published online: 19 January 2012 Ó Springer Basel AG 2012 Abstract Objective This cross-sectional study assessed the poten- tial contribution of gender, body fat distribution, and their interactions to some inflammatory marker concentrations [C-reactive protein (CRP), complement factor 3 (C3), and ceruloplasmin (Cp)] in young adults. Methods Measurements included body composition, lifestyle features, blood biochemical and selected inflam- matory markers on 317 healthy subjects [122 males/195 females; 22 ± 3 years; 22.1 ± 2.8 kg/m 2 (mean ± SD)]. Results Women had significantly higher CRP and Cp concentrations than men. No gender difference was noted in C3 concentrations. In a multivariate model of the whole sample, body fat (BF), waist circumference (WC) and the sex 9 WC interaction term presented the highest R 2 for variance of CRP (11%), C3 (2%), and Cp (12%), respectively. In regression models separated by sex, BF was the adiposity indicator that explained the variability of CRP in men (13%) and women (7%). WC was the only variable significantly associated with C3 concentrations in women (3%). BF presented the highest partial R 2 for Cp in men (8%) and WC in women (16%). Conclusion Our findings indicate a relevant interaction between gender and body fat distribution on the variance of CRP, C3, and Cp concentrations in apparently healthy young adults. Keywords Gender Á Body fat distribution Á C-reactive protein Á Complement C3 Á Ceruloplasmin Á Humans Introduction Low-grade inflammation has been thoroughly investigated due to its recognized pivotal role in the obesity- related disorders such as hypertension, insulin resistance, dyslipidemias, or metabolic syndrome [1–3]. Relevant inflammatory markers are the acute-phase proteins such as C-reactive protein (CRP), complement factor 3 (C3), and ceruloplasmin (Cp), where increased concentrations have been associated with obesity [4–7] and higher risk for several chronic diseases [8–10]. These proteins are mainly produced in the liver, while interleukin-6 (IL6), a proin- flammatory adipocytokine, appears to be a strong stimulator of their secretion in conditions of excessive fat accumulation [11, 12]. In this sense, the role of adiposity in the proinflamma- tory state [8, 13–15] as well as the effect of caloric restriction interventions on weight loss [16, 17] has been studied. However, body fat mass and its distribution are Responsible Editor: Claudia Kasserra. H. H. Hermsdorff Á B. Puchau Á M. A ´ . Zulet Á J. A. Martı ´nez (&) Department of Nutrition, Food Science, Physiology and Toxicology, University of Navarra, C/Irunlarrea, 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain e-mail: jalfmtz@unav.es A. C. Volp Department of Clinical and Social Nutrition, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil K. B. Barbosa Nutrition Center, Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju, Brazil J. Bressan Department of Nutrition and Health, Federal University of Vic ¸osa, Vic ¸osa, Brazil Inflamm. Res. (2012) 61:427–435 DOI 10.1007/s00011-011-0429-z Inflammation Research 123