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C-reactive protein in traditional melanesians on Kitava

Carrera-Bastos, Pedro LU ; Fontes-Villalba, Maelán LU orcid ; Gurven, Michael ; Muskiet, Frits A.J. ; Åkerfeldt, Torbjörn ; Lindblad, Ulf LU ; Råstam, Lennart LU ; Frostegård, Johan ; Shapira, Yinon and Shoenfeld, Yehuda , et al. (2020) In BMC Cardiovascular Disorders 20(1).
Abstract

Background: Population-based levels of the chronic low-grade systemic inflammation biomarker, C-reactive protein (CRP), vary widely among traditional populations, despite their apparent absence of chronic conditions associated with chronic low-grade systemic inflammation, such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. We have previously reported an apparent absence of aforementioned conditions amongst the traditional Melanesian horticulturalists of Kitava, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea. Our objective in this study was to clarify associations between chronic low-grade systemic inflammation and chronic cardiometabolic conditions by measuring CRP in a Kitava population sample. For comparison purposes, CRP was... (More)

Background: Population-based levels of the chronic low-grade systemic inflammation biomarker, C-reactive protein (CRP), vary widely among traditional populations, despite their apparent absence of chronic conditions associated with chronic low-grade systemic inflammation, such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. We have previously reported an apparent absence of aforementioned conditions amongst the traditional Melanesian horticulturalists of Kitava, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea. Our objective in this study was to clarify associations between chronic low-grade systemic inflammation and chronic cardiometabolic conditions by measuring CRP in a Kitava population sample. For comparison purposes, CRP was also measured in Swedish controls matched for age and gender. Methods: Fasting levels of serum CRP were measured cross-sectionally in ≥ 40-year-old Kitavans (N = 79) and Swedish controls (N = 83). Results: CRP was lower for Kitavans compared to Swedish controls (Mdn 0.5 mg/L range 0.1—48 mg/L and Mdn 1.1 mg/L range 0.1—33 mg/L, respectively, r =.18 p =.02). Among Kitavans, there were small negative associations between lnCRP for CRP values < 10 and total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol. Among Swedish controls, associations of lnCRP for CRP values < 10 were medium positive with weight, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist-hip ratio and low positive with triglyceride, total cholesterol-HDL cholesterol ratio, triglyceride-HDL cholesterol ratio and serum insulin. Conclusions: Chronic low-grade systemic inflammation, measured as CRP, was lower among Kitavans compared to Swedish controls, indicating a lower and average cardiovascular risk, respectively, for these populations.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
C-reactive protein, Cardiovascular risk, Traditional melanesians
in
BMC Cardiovascular Disorders
volume
20
issue
1
article number
524
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85097666094
  • pmid:33334321
ISSN
1471-2261
DOI
10.1186/s12872-020-01812-7
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a5829b27-74a1-4ce5-96bf-2a724fc1a63f
date added to LUP
2021-01-07 10:25:26
date last changed
2025-07-13 06:15:21
@article{a5829b27-74a1-4ce5-96bf-2a724fc1a63f,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Population-based levels of the chronic low-grade systemic inflammation biomarker, C-reactive protein (CRP), vary widely among traditional populations, despite their apparent absence of chronic conditions associated with chronic low-grade systemic inflammation, such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. We have previously reported an apparent absence of aforementioned conditions amongst the traditional Melanesian horticulturalists of Kitava, Trobriand Islands, Papua New Guinea. Our objective in this study was to clarify associations between chronic low-grade systemic inflammation and chronic cardiometabolic conditions by measuring CRP in a Kitava population sample. For comparison purposes, CRP was also measured in Swedish controls matched for age and gender. Methods: Fasting levels of serum CRP were measured cross-sectionally in ≥ 40-year-old Kitavans (N = 79) and Swedish controls (N = 83). Results: CRP was lower for Kitavans compared to Swedish controls (Mdn 0.5 mg/L range 0.1—48 mg/L and Mdn 1.1 mg/L range 0.1—33 mg/L, respectively, r =.18 p =.02). Among Kitavans, there were small negative associations between lnCRP for CRP values &lt; 10 and total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol. Among Swedish controls, associations of lnCRP for CRP values &lt; 10 were medium positive with weight, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist-hip ratio and low positive with triglyceride, total cholesterol-HDL cholesterol ratio, triglyceride-HDL cholesterol ratio and serum insulin. Conclusions: Chronic low-grade systemic inflammation, measured as CRP, was lower among Kitavans compared to Swedish controls, indicating a lower and average cardiovascular risk, respectively, for these populations.</p>}},
  author       = {{Carrera-Bastos, Pedro and Fontes-Villalba, Maelán and Gurven, Michael and Muskiet, Frits A.J. and Åkerfeldt, Torbjörn and Lindblad, Ulf and Råstam, Lennart and Frostegård, Johan and Shapira, Yinon and Shoenfeld, Yehuda and Granfeldt, Yvonne and Sundquist, Kristina and Jönsson, Tommy}},
  issn         = {{1471-2261}},
  keywords     = {{C-reactive protein; Cardiovascular risk; Traditional melanesians}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{BMC Cardiovascular Disorders}},
  title        = {{C-reactive protein in traditional melanesians on Kitava}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12872-020-01812-7}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s12872-020-01812-7}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}