Dietary factors associated with subclinical inflammation among girls

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Dietary patterns and biomarkers of inflammation have been scarcely associated. The aim was to assess dietary factors associated with subclinical inflammation among girls. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Fasting blood samples were collected from 12- to 17-year old girls (n=219) to measure adiponectin, leptin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels. Body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and food intake were also measured. Western (WDP) and Mediterranean (MDP) dietary patterns were identified. RESULTS: BMI and WHtR were associated with adiponectin, leptin and hs-CRP (the last, only associated with BMI). Intakes of beta-carotene equivalents and vitamin C were associated with adiponectin; saturated fatty acids (SEA), vitamin A, manganese and selenium with leptin; linoleic acid with PAI-1; and oleic acid and vitamin E with IL-6. Selenium was inversely associated with adiponectin, whereas magnesium was positively associated with IL-6. MDP was associated with higher plasma concentrations of adiponectin (beta= 0.174, P<0.05); after adjustment for BMI, associations were not significant (beta= 0.144, P=0.076). WDP was negatively associated with adiponectin (beta= -0.177, P<0.05) and positively with IL-6 (beta= 0.183, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Subclinical inflammation is detectable with increasing BMI and also WHtR. Measures of adiposity (BMI and WHtR) are significant predictors of adiponectin, leptin and hs-CRP. Dietary patterns per se have a small role in affecting inflammatory markers among adolescents.