Association among C-reactive protein, oxidative stress, and traditional risk factors in healthy Japanese subjects.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation and oxidative stress play a key role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. This study was designed to examine the interrelationships among C-reactive protein (CRP), oxidative stress, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis among 551 apparently healthy Japanese subjects not receiving medication (mean age, 53+/-11 years; males/females, 400/151). Subject underwent laboratory assessment of cardiovascular disease risk factors, and CRP and 8-isoprostane, a marker of oxidative stress, were measured.
RESULTS: In unadjusted analyses, CRP was positively correlated with age, male gender, body mass index, blood pressure, smoking habit, creatinine, uric acid, triglycerides, an index of insulin resistance, and 8-isoprostane, and inversely correlated with high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. 8-Isoprostane was positively correlated with age, pulse pressure, smoking habit, brain natriuretic peptide, and CRP. In multiple regression analyses, body mass index (r=0.177), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (r=-0.162), uric acid (r=0.141), and 8-isoprostane (r=0.097) were independently correlated with CRP (P<0.001), whereas smoking (r=0.341), age (r=0.217), and pulse pressure (r=0.091) remained independently correlated with 8-isoprostane (P<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: CRP levels are associated not only with clinical cardiovascular risk factors but also with oxidative stress. There are significant interrelationships among inflammation, oxidative stress, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors.