Introduction: Our objective was to study the association between inflammatory markers and the metabolic syndrome and body mass index in adults. Material and Methods: This case control study was conducted on 80 subjects with metabolic syndrome as cases and 160 controls without metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome in patients was defined based on Adult Treatment Panel III. Anthropometrics, biochemical profiles, and inflammatory markers (high sensitive C reactive protein and serum amyloid A) were documented. Results: The study included 39 women and 41 men with metabolic syndrome as cases, and 78 women and 82 men in the control group, with average ages of 41.4±8.3 and 41.3±7.7 years, respectively. In subjects with the metabolic syndrome, high sensitive C reactive protein and serum amyloid A concentrations were higher than in those without the metabolic syndrome. In women of both the case and control groups, high sensitive C reactive protein concentration was positively associated with body mass index. In women without metabolic syndrome a positive association was found between serum amyloid A and body mass index. In men with metabolic syndrome, a positive association was found between high sensitive C reactive protein and waist circumference. Conclusions: High sensitive C reactive protein concentration increased in subjects with the metabolic syndrome and was positively associated with BMI in women and with waist circumference in men.