Skip Navigation



American Journal of Epidemiology Advance Access published online on November 3, 2005
American Journal of Epidemiology, doi:10.1093/aje/kwi334
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
162/12/1198    most recent
kwi334v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bodnar, L. M.
Right arrow Articles by Roberts, J. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bodnar, L. M.
Right arrow Articles by Roberts, J. M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

American Journal of Epidemiology Copyright © 2005 by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health All rights reserved; printed in U.S.A.
Received March 22, 2005
Accepted June 28, 2005

ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Inflammation and Triglycerides Partially Mediate the Effect of Prepregnancy Body Mass Index on the Risk of Preeclampsia

Lisa M. Bodnar 1*, Roberta B. Ness 2, Gail F. Harger 1, and James M. Roberts 3

1 Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Magee-Women's Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
2 Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Magee-Women's Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
3 Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Magee-Women's Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Lisa M. Bodnar, E-mail: Bodnar{at}edc.pitt.edu


  Abstract

The objective of this study was to quantify the mediating role of inflammation and triglycerides in the association between prepregnancy body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)2) and preeclampsia. The authors conducted a nested case-control study of 55 preeclamptic women and 165 pregnant controls from the Pregnancy Exposures and Preeclampsia Prevention Study (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1997-2001). Serum samples collected at ≤20 weeks' gestation were analyzed for levels of C-reactive protein and triglycerides. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) from a multivariable conditional logistic regression model assessing the total effect of body mass index on preeclampsia risk was compared with the AOR from the same model after results were controlled for C-reactive protein, triglycerides, and confounding factors (direct-effects model). The percentage of the total effect that was mediated through inflammation and triglycerides was calculated as 100 - [ln(direct-effects AOR)/ln(total-effects AOR)]. In the total-effects model, 4- and 8-unit increases in body mass index were associated with 1.7-fold (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3, 2.3) and 2.9-fold (95% CI: 1.6, 5.2) increases in preeclampsia risk, whereas in the direct-effects model, these AORs were 1.4 (95% CI: 1.0, 1.9) and 2.0 (95% CI: 1.0, 3.8), respectively. Inflammation was a more important mediator than triglycerides. These findings suggest that approximately one third of the total effect of body mass index on preeclampsia risk is mediated through inflammation and triglyceride levels.

Keywords: body mass index; C-reactive protein; inflammation; obesity; pre-eclampsia; pregnancy; triglycerides.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 HypertensionHome page
C. A. Hubel, R. W. Powers, S. Snaedal, H. S. Gammill, R. B. Ness, J. M. Roberts, and R. Arngrimsson
C-Reactive Protein Is Elevated 30 Years After Eclamptic Pregnancy
Hypertension, June 1, 2008; 51(6): 1499 - 1505.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.