Synergistic Effect of Inflammatory Cytokines and Body Adiposity on Insulin Resistance and Endothelial Markers in Patients With Stages 3-5 Chronic Kidney Disease

Background High body adiposity, inflammatory cytokines, insulin resistance (IR), and the endothelial markers—soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1)—are among cardiovascular risk factors observed in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Synergistic interaction of inflammatory cytokines with adiposity on IR, sICAM-1, and sVCAM-1 has not been reported in nondialysis-dependent CKD (NDD-CKD) patients. Thus the study aim was to evaluate the interaction of inflammatory cytokines on the association of body adiposity with the cardiometabolic risk factors—IR, sICAM-1, and sVCAM-1—in NDD-CKD patients. Cytokines association with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and body adiposity was also examined. Design and Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in an interdisciplinary outpatient Nephrology Clinic. Subjects and Measurements NDD-CKD adults with eGFR ≤60 mL/minute/1.73 m 2 under regular treatment. Inflammatory cytokines, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, eGFR (by CKD-Epidemiology collaboration equation)-EPI equation, and body composition assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and anthropometry were evaluated. Synergistic effects of inflammatory markers with body adiposity on studied cardiometabolic risk factors were assessed by interaction and mediation analysis. Results The study cohort comprised 241 NDD-CKD patients (54.8% men; eGFR = 29.4 ± 12.9 mL/minute/1.73 m 2 ). Variables evaluated: Inflammatory cytokines were not associated with eGFR and not different among CKD stages. Percentage of total body adiposity (%TBA) was independently associated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) and HOMA-IR. Waist-to-height ratio was independently associated with TNFα, interleukin-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP1), and HOMA-IR. Interaction analysis showed TNFα, interleukin-8, and MCP1 as independent mediators of the effects of high percentage of total body adiposity and waist-to-height ratio on HOMA-IR ( P β  = 0.40) and MCP1 ( β  = 0.31) were independently associated with sVCAM-1 ( P Conclusions In NDD-CKD patients, inflammatory cytokines synergistically mediated the effects of body adiposity, enhancing the cardiometabolic risk. Inflammation was associated with sVCAM-1, but not with eGFR.