Host factors associated with serologic inflammatory markers assessed using multiplex assays

Chronic systemic inflammation contributes to the development of adverse health conditions, yet the influence of fixed and modifiable risk factors on many serologic biomarkers of inflammation remains largely unknown. Serum concentrations of twenty-three biomarkers, including C-reactive protein (CRP), cytokines (CXCL11, CXCL8, CXCL10, CCL2, CCL13, CCL4, CCL17, CXCL13, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-1β, GM-CSF, BAFF), and soluble immune receptors (sCD14, sIL-2Rα, sCD27, sgp130, sTNF-R2) were measured longitudinally using multiplexed immunometric assays in 250 HIV-uninfected men followed in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (1984-2009). Generalized gamma regression was used to determine the statistical significance of factors associated with each biomarker. After accounting for age, race, and education, and for analysis of multiple biomarkers, higher concentrations of specific individual biomarkers were significantly (P < 0.002) associated with hypertension, obesity, hepatitis C infection, stimulant use, and diabetes and lower concentrations with hypercholesterolemia. These associations should be taken into account in epidemiological studies of these biomarkers, and may provide potential targets for disease prevention and treatment.