TY - JOUR
T1 - Hair cortisol, obesity and the immune system
T2 - Results from a 3 year longitudinal study
AU - van der Valk, Eline S.
AU - van der Voorn, Bibian
AU - Iyer, Anand M.
AU - Mohseni, Mostafa
AU - Leenen, Pieter J. M.
AU - Dik, Willem A.
AU - van den Berg, Sjoerd A. A.
AU - de Rijke, Yolanda B.
AU - van den Akker, Erica L. T.
AU - Penninx, Brenda W. J. H.
AU - van Rossum, Elisabeth F. C.
N1 - Funding Information: The infrastructure for the NESDA study ( www.nesda.nl ) is funded through the Geestkracht program of the Netherlands Organisation forHealth Research and Development (ZonMw, grant number 10–000-1002) and financial contributions by participating universities and mental health care organizations (Amsterdam University MedicalCenters (location VUmc), GGZ inGeest, Leiden University MedicalCenter, Leiden University, GGZ Rivierduinen, University MedicalCenter Groningen, University of Groningen, Lentis, GGZ Friesland, GGZDrenthe, Rob Giel Onderzoekscentrum). Funding Information: Elisabeth Foundation; Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research NWO , Vidi Grant/ Award Number: 91716453 . Publisher Copyright: © 2021
PY - 2021/12/1
Y1 - 2021/12/1
N2 - Objectives: Higher long-term glucocorticoid levels, measured in scalp hair (HairGC), are associated with obesity. This may represent the state of obesity (perhaps interrelated with chronic immune activation), but could also promote further weight gain. We studied whether hair cortisol (HairF) and hair cortisone (HairE) predict changes in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) over time, and assessed the association between HairGC and common immune parameters. Methods: We measured HairGC in 1604 participants of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), and investigated their associations to BMI, WC, and immune parameters (interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and leukocyte subsets). Also, we assessed whether baseline HairGC predict changes in BMI and WC at follow-up (three years later). Results: In cross-sectional analyses, HairF and HairE were positively associated to BMI (β = 2.06 kg/m 2, 95% confidence interval (CI)= 1.22–2.90 kg/m 2) and β = 2.84 kg/m 2 (95%CI 1.75–3.93 kg/m 2) respectively) and WC (β = 5.36 cm (95%CI 3.09–7.62 cm) and β = 8.54 cm (95%CI 5.60–11.48 cm) respectively, all p < 0.001). HairF was also positively associated to IL-6 (β = 0.15 (95%CI 0.003–0.292) p < 0.05) and leukocyte count (β = 0.57 (95%CI 0.234–0.909), p < 0.01), and HairE to IL-6 (β = 0.21 (95%CI 0.016–0.399), p < 0.05). In the longitudinal analyses, higher HairF was associated with yearly increases in BMI (β = 0.58% BMI change per year (95%CI 0.14–1.01%), p = 0.009) and higher HairE with increases in WC (β = 0.84% WC change per year (95%CI 0.02–1.69%), p = 0.049). Adjusting for baseline IL-6 or leukocytes did not change the found associations between HairGC and WC or BMI change. Conclusions: HairGC levels are positively associated to BMI, WC, IL-6 and leukocyte numbers in cross-sectional analyses, and to increases in BMI and WC in longitudinal analyses. Although causality is yet to be proven, higher long-term glucocorticoid levels could represent a relevant risk factor for the development of obesity.
AB - Objectives: Higher long-term glucocorticoid levels, measured in scalp hair (HairGC), are associated with obesity. This may represent the state of obesity (perhaps interrelated with chronic immune activation), but could also promote further weight gain. We studied whether hair cortisol (HairF) and hair cortisone (HairE) predict changes in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) over time, and assessed the association between HairGC and common immune parameters. Methods: We measured HairGC in 1604 participants of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA), and investigated their associations to BMI, WC, and immune parameters (interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and leukocyte subsets). Also, we assessed whether baseline HairGC predict changes in BMI and WC at follow-up (three years later). Results: In cross-sectional analyses, HairF and HairE were positively associated to BMI (β = 2.06 kg/m 2, 95% confidence interval (CI)= 1.22–2.90 kg/m 2) and β = 2.84 kg/m 2 (95%CI 1.75–3.93 kg/m 2) respectively) and WC (β = 5.36 cm (95%CI 3.09–7.62 cm) and β = 8.54 cm (95%CI 5.60–11.48 cm) respectively, all p < 0.001). HairF was also positively associated to IL-6 (β = 0.15 (95%CI 0.003–0.292) p < 0.05) and leukocyte count (β = 0.57 (95%CI 0.234–0.909), p < 0.01), and HairE to IL-6 (β = 0.21 (95%CI 0.016–0.399), p < 0.05). In the longitudinal analyses, higher HairF was associated with yearly increases in BMI (β = 0.58% BMI change per year (95%CI 0.14–1.01%), p = 0.009) and higher HairE with increases in WC (β = 0.84% WC change per year (95%CI 0.02–1.69%), p = 0.049). Adjusting for baseline IL-6 or leukocytes did not change the found associations between HairGC and WC or BMI change. Conclusions: HairGC levels are positively associated to BMI, WC, IL-6 and leukocyte numbers in cross-sectional analyses, and to increases in BMI and WC in longitudinal analyses. Although causality is yet to be proven, higher long-term glucocorticoid levels could represent a relevant risk factor for the development of obesity.
KW - Adiposity
KW - Hair glucocorticoids
KW - Immune system
KW - Longitudinal
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85117202853&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105422
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105422
M3 - Article
C2 - 34666286
SN - 0306-4530
VL - 134
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology
JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology
M1 - 105422
ER -
