Is the proatherogenic cytokine interleukin-18 secreted by human adipocytes?
We conclude that human adipose tissue produces IL-18 and thereby contributes to systemic IL-18 concentrations. This finding supports the concepts that adipocytes behave as primitive immune cells and that IL-18 may mediate some of the detrimental complications of obesity such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Z-scores in subjects with and without scoliosis were most strongly correlated to BMI: thin patients had lower bone density, heavy patients had higher. The presence of scoliosis had an effect similar to subtracting 3.4 "BMI units," lowering the Z-score from what might otherwise be predicted. The "scoliosis effect" may be noticeable in thin individuals, pushing them to the "low for age" level, whereas in heavier individuals, the effect is negligible. No subjects in either group met the ISCD definition for osteoporosis.