Association between indices of body mass and antibody titers to heat-shock protein-27 in healthy subjects.

OBJECTIVES We have assessed the relationship between indices of adiposity and antibody titers to Hsp-27 in healthy subjects. DESIGN Two-hundred and fifty subjects were studied, including 50 normal-weight subjects (body-mass-index (BMI) 25 kg/m(2)), 100 overweight subjects (BMI 25 to 30 kg/m(2)) (n=100) and 100 obese subjects (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2)). RESULTS Anti-Hsp27-antibody levels in obese subjects were [0.34 (0.20-0.39) absorbency unit], being significantly higher than overweight and normal-weight groups (P<0.05). Anti-Hsp27-antibody levels in overweight subjects [0.29 (0.15-0.34) absorbency unit] were statistically higher than controls [0.18 (0.10-0.23) absorbency unit] (P<0.05). CONCLUSION High anti-Hsp-27-antibody levels in obese-subjects without established coronary disease may be related to a heightened state of immunoactivation associated with obesity.