Obesity impairs leukocyte-endothelium cell interactions and oxidative stress in humans.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the relationship between leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions and oxidative stress parameters in non-diabetic patients with different grades of obesity.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, 225 subjects were recruited from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016 and divided into groups according to BMI (<30 kg/m2 , 30-40 kg/m2 and >40 kg/m²). We determined clinical parameters, systemic inflammatory markers, soluble cellular adhesion molecules, leukocyte-endothelium cell interactions-rolling flux, velocity and adhesion-, oxidative stress parameters-total ROS, total superoxide, glutathione-and mitochondrial membrane potential in leukocytes.

RESULTS: We verified that HOMA-IR and hsCRP increased progressively as obesity developed, whereas A1c, IL6 and TNFα were augmented in the BMI > 40 kg/m² group. The cellular adhesion molecule sP-selectin was increased in patients with obesity, while sICAM, total ROS, total superoxide and mitochondrial membrane potential were selectively higher in the BMI > 40 kg/m² group. Obesity induced a progressive decrease in rolling velocity and an enhancement of rolling flux and leukocyte adhesion.

CONCLUSION: Our findings reveal that endothelial dysfunction markers are altered in human obesity and are associated with proinflammatory cytokines and increased oxidative stress parameters.