Exploring the usefulness of inflammation-sensitive biomarkers to reveal potential sex differences in relation to low-grade inflammation in individuals with the metabolic syndrome

Sex differences exist in the expression of different inflammation-sensitive biomarkers in relation to the metabolic syndrome (MetS). We have presently explored these differences in relation to commonly used inflammation-sensitive biomarkers including the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), quantitative fibrinogen, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), white blood cell count (WBCC), and absolute number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. This is a cross-sectional analysis of a group of apparently healthy men (n = 5560) and women (n = 3049) in whom the results of the above-mentioned inflammation-sensitive biomarkers were analyzed in relation to the different components of MetS. The concentration of hs-CRP increased pari passu with the number of components of the MetS, the differences between the sexes being significant for any number of components of the MetS. Regarding fibrinogen, the influence of sex turned significant for waist only, similarly to the results of the ESR. None of these interactions were found to be significant for both the WBCC and the absolute number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Quantitative fibrinogen, ESR, WBCC, as well as the absolute number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes are not sensitive enough to reveal the potential sex differences in relation to the various components of the MetS and the expression of the low-grade inflammation. High-sensitivity CRP does have the capability to reveal these differences.