Postprandial cytokine concentrations and meal composition in obese and lean women

The aim of this study was to compare the acute effect of (i) meals rich in saturated fat, oleic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid and (ii) meals rich in starch and fiber on markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in obese and lean women. In a crossover study, 15 abdominally obese women (age, 54 +/- 9 years; BMI, 37.3 +/- 5.5 kg/m2) and 14 lean women (age, 53 +/- 10 years; BMI, 22.9 +/- 1.9 kg/m2) consumed meals rich in cream (CR), olive oil (OL), canola oil (CAN), potato (POT), and All-Bran (BRAN) in random order. Blood samples were collected before and up to 6 h after the meals and plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), lipid peroxides (LPOs), free-fatty acids (FFAs), insulin, glucose, and cortisol were measured. Plasma IL-6 decreased significantly 1 h after the meals then increased significantly above baseline at 4h and 6h in obese women and at 6h in lean women. The incremental area under the curve (iAUC) for IL-6 was significantly (P = 0.02) higher in obese compared with lean women and was significantly lower following the high fiber BRAN meal compared with a POT meal (P = 0.003). Waist circumference (R = 0.491, P = 0.007) and cortisol AUC (R = -0.415, P = 0.03) were significant determinants of the magnitude of 6h changes in plasma IL-6 after the meals. These findings suggest that the postprandial response of plasma IL-6 concentrations may be influenced by the type of carbohydrate in the meal, central adiposity, and circulating cortisol concentrations in women.