TY - JOUR
T1 - Increased systemic inflammation and altered distribution of T-cell subsets in postmenopausal women
AU - Abildgaard, Julie
AU - Tingstedt, Jeanette
AU - Zhao, Yanan
AU - Hartling, Hans Jakob
AU - Pedersen, Anette Tønnes
AU - Lindegaard, Birgitte
AU - Dam Nielsen, Susanne
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - AIM: To investigate markers of systemic inflammation in pre- and postmenopausal women and identify possible predictors of systemic inflammation with menopause.METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 69 healthy women between 45- and 60 years. Blood samples were collected to assess leukocyte subsets and plasma cytokines. MRI and DXA scans were performed to assess body composition. Through uni- and multivariate analyses, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), visceral fat mass and age were evaluated as predictors of systemic inflammation in relation to menopause.RESULTS: Postmenopausal women tended to have higher leukocyte counts (5.4 x109 vs. 4.9 x109 cells/l, p = 0.05) reflected in increased total lymphocytes (1.8 x109 vs. 1.6 x109 cells/l, p = 0.01) and monocytes (0.5 x109 vs. 0.4 x109 cells/l, p = 0.02), compared to premenopausal women. Increased visceral fat mass was a strong predictor of high leukocyte subsets. Postmenopausal women had higher plasma TNF-α (2.24 vs. 1.91 pg/ml, p = 0.01) and IL-6 (0.45 vs. 0.33 pg/ml, p = 0.004) compared to premenopausal women and high FSH was a significant predictor of increased plasma TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6. Menopause was further associated with increased T-cells (1,336 vs. 1,128 cells/μl, p = 0.04) reflected in significantly higher counts of exhausted-, senescent-, and memory CD4+ T-cell subsets.CONCLUSIONS: Menopause is associated with increased systemic inflammation as well as exhausted- and senescent T-cells. We suggest, that both increased visceral fat mass and declining sex hormone levels might contribute to postmenopausal systemic inflammation and calls for further large-scale studies to confirm these findings.
AB - AIM: To investigate markers of systemic inflammation in pre- and postmenopausal women and identify possible predictors of systemic inflammation with menopause.METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 69 healthy women between 45- and 60 years. Blood samples were collected to assess leukocyte subsets and plasma cytokines. MRI and DXA scans were performed to assess body composition. Through uni- and multivariate analyses, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), visceral fat mass and age were evaluated as predictors of systemic inflammation in relation to menopause.RESULTS: Postmenopausal women tended to have higher leukocyte counts (5.4 x109 vs. 4.9 x109 cells/l, p = 0.05) reflected in increased total lymphocytes (1.8 x109 vs. 1.6 x109 cells/l, p = 0.01) and monocytes (0.5 x109 vs. 0.4 x109 cells/l, p = 0.02), compared to premenopausal women. Increased visceral fat mass was a strong predictor of high leukocyte subsets. Postmenopausal women had higher plasma TNF-α (2.24 vs. 1.91 pg/ml, p = 0.01) and IL-6 (0.45 vs. 0.33 pg/ml, p = 0.004) compared to premenopausal women and high FSH was a significant predictor of increased plasma TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6. Menopause was further associated with increased T-cells (1,336 vs. 1,128 cells/μl, p = 0.04) reflected in significantly higher counts of exhausted-, senescent-, and memory CD4+ T-cell subsets.CONCLUSIONS: Menopause is associated with increased systemic inflammation as well as exhausted- and senescent T-cells. We suggest, that both increased visceral fat mass and declining sex hormone levels might contribute to postmenopausal systemic inflammation and calls for further large-scale studies to confirm these findings.
KW - Absorptiometry, Photon/methods
KW - Body Composition
KW - Cytokines/blood
KW - Female
KW - Follicle Stimulating Hormone/blood
KW - Gonadal Steroid Hormones/blood
KW - Humans
KW - Inflammation/blood
KW - Intra-Abdominal Fat/diagnostic imaging
KW - Lymphocytes/cytology
KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Monocytes/cytology
KW - Multivariate Analysis
KW - Postmenopause/blood
KW - T-Lymphocyte Subsets/cytology
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0235174
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0235174
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 32574226
VL - 15
JO - PLoS ONE
JF - PLoS ONE
SN - 1932-6203
IS - 6
M1 - e0235174
ER -