Antibodies against phosphorylcholine in hospitalized versus non-hospitalized obese subjects

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 20246 - 9
• Main Authors: Jujić, Amra, Korduner, J., Holm, H., Engström, G., Bachus, E., Bhattacharya, P., Nilsson, P. M., Frostegård, Johan, Magnusson, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 12.10.2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/250/256; 631/250/262; 692/4019; 692/53; Aged; Anti-inflammatory agents; Antibodies; Basic Medicine; Blood pressure; Cardiovascular diseases; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - immunology; Epitopes; Female; Hospitalization; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Hypertension; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Immunoglobulin M; Immunoglobulin M - blood; Immunologi inom det medicinska området; Immunologi inom det medicinska området (Här ingår: Cell- och immunterapi); Immunology in the medical area; Immunology in the Medical Area (including Cell and Immunotherapy); Inflammation; Life expectancy; Life span; Logistic Models; Male; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper; Metabolic disorders; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - blood; Metabolic Syndrome - immunology; Microorganisms; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Obesity; Obesity - blood; Obesity - immunology; Phosphorylcholine; Phosphorylcholine - immunology; Risk Factors; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99615-z

Obesity associates with reduced life expectancy, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and is characterized by chronic inflammation. Phosphorylcholine (PC) is an epitope on oxidized low-density lipoprotein, dead cells and some microorganisms. Antibodies against PC (anti-PC) have anti-inflammatory properties. Here, we explored the role of anti-PC in hospitalized versus non-hospitalized obese. One-hundred-and-twenty-eight obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m 2 ) individuals (59.8 (± 5.5) years, 53.9% women) from the Malmö Diet and Cancer Cardiovascular Cohort were examined and IgM, IgG1 and IgG2 anti-PC were analyzed by ELISA. Individuals with at least one recorded history of hospitalization prior to study baseline were considered hospitalized obese (HO). Associations between IgM, IgG1 and IgG2 anti-PC and HO (n = 32)/non-hospitalized obese (NHO) (n = 96), but also with metabolic syndrome and diabetes were analysed using logistic regressions. Both IgM and IgG1 anti-PC were inversely associated with HO, also after controlling for age and sex. When further adjusted for waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, glucose levels and smoking status, only IgG1 anti-PC remained significantly associated with HO. In multivariate models, each 1 standard deviation of increment in anti-PC IgG1 levels was inversely associated with prevalence of HO (odds ratio 0.57; CI 95% 0.33–0.98; p = 0.044). IgG2 anti-PC did not show any associations with HO. Low levels of IgM and IgG1 anti-PC are associated with higher risk of being a HO individual independent of sex and age, IgG1 anti-PC also independently of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The anti-inflammatory properties of these antibodies may be related to inflammation in obesity and its complications.