PLASMA FIBRONECTIN IN OVERWEIGHT MEN AND WOMEN - CORRELATION WITH SERUM TRIGLYCERIDE LEVELS AND SERUM-CHOLINESTERASE ACTIVITY

When compared with 67 age- and sex-matched normal weight control subje cts, the 71 overweight patients displayed obviously higher levels of p lasma fibronectin. For a similar body mass index (BMI) the 16 overweig ht men younger than 45 years had a significantly (P < 0.01) higher pla sma fibronectin level (455 +/- 99.3 mg/l; mean +/- SD) than the 16 age -matched overweight women (351 +/- 105 mg/l) while there was no signif icant difference between the 22 overweight men (446 +/- 89.2 mg/l) and the 17 overweight women (475 +/- 111 mg/l) older than 45 years. Parti cularly high plasma fibronectin levels were noted in the five women wi th upper body (android) obesity. Plasma fibronectin was positively cor related with BMI, serum triglyceride concentration, plasma fibrinogen and serum cholinesterase activity. It is considered that metabolic dis turbances related to upper body obesity may lead to an enhanced hepati c secretion of VLDL and of several plasma proteins including fibronect in.