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Relationships between C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, and insulin resistance in a Chinese population

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Abstract

This study is to clarify whether C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) count influence insulin homeostasis to the same degree. Serum CRP and peripheral WBC were measured in 739 subjects with normal glucose regulation, 512 with impaired glucose regulation, and 502 newly diagnosed diabetic patients. Levels of insulin resistance (IR) were assessed using the index of homeostasis model (HOMA-IR). Serum CRP and WBC were significantly correlated with HOMA-IR and risk factors of IR. Relative risks of IR for each 1-SD increase of Ln (CRP) and Ln (WBC) were 1.28 (1.10–1.47) and 1.15 (1.01–1.31), respectively after adjustment for age, sex, obesity measurements, and other traditional risk factors. Additional adjustment for WBC slightly attenuated the association between CRP and IR [1.25 (1.08–1.45); P = 0.003] whereas adjustment for CRP substantially attenuated the association of WBC with IR toward null (P = 0.134). Moreover, individuals with both high levels of CRP and WBC were at higher risks of IR than those with high CRP or WBC alone. Both CRP and WBC were significantly associated with risks of IR. CRP might be a more effective biomarker in terms of the association with IR.

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Acknowledgments

We express our gratitude to all the participants in this study. This research was supported by the grants from Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Ministry of Chinese Public Health (No. 1994DP131044), National Key New Drug Creation and Manufacturing Program (2008ZX09312/019), Nature Science Foundation (No. 30800536), Shanghai Commission for Science and Technology (No. 08ZR1417000).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, The State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Rui-Jin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, China

    Yu Xu, Zhiyun Zhao, Xiaoying Li, Yufang Bi, Min Xu & Guang Ning

  2. The Division of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, E-Institute of Shanghai Universities, Shanghai, 200025, China

    Xiaoying Li & Guang Ning

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  1. Yu Xu
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  2. Zhiyun Zhao
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  5. Min Xu
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  6. Guang Ning
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Correspondence to Min Xu.

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Xu, Y., Zhao, Z., Li, X. et al. Relationships between C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, and insulin resistance in a Chinese population. Endocr 39, 175–181 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-010-9425-2

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