Acid level impacts inflammation

Steve - it is not like we need more affirmation that excess acidity causes inflammation, but this Canadian Medical Association Journal was well conceived.

In vitro data suggest that lower extracellular pH activates the immune system. We conducted a population-based study of the relation between serum acid–base status and inflammation.

We examined the serum anion gap and serum levels of bicarbonate and inflammatory biomarkers in 4525 healthy adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey during 1999–2006. We excluded participants who had chronic disease, recent infection and an estimated glomerular filtration rate of less than 60 mL/min per 1.73 m 2.

After adjustment for age, sex, ethnic background, body mass index, serum albumin level and other factors, we found that a higher anion gap and lower bicarbonate level were associated with a higher leukocyte count and higher C-reactive protein level. Compared with participants in the lowest quartile of anion gap, those in the highest quartile had a leukocyte count that was higher and a C-reactive protein level that was higher. A higher anion gap and lower bicarbonate level were also associated with a higher platelet count, a larger mean platelet volume and a higher ferritin level.

A higher serum anion gap and lower bicarbonate level were associated with higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers in a healthy sample of the general population.