Impact of age on plasma vaspin concentration in a group of normal Chinese people

Abstract

PurposeVisceral adipose tissue-derived serine protease inhibitor (vaspin) is an adipocytokine with insulin-sensitizing effects. Accumulating data implied that vaspin represents a compensatory mechanism but it is unknown how vaspin change during ageing. This study was designed to examine the correlation between plasma vaspin and age in a group of normal Chinese people.MethodsA total of 191 Chinese volunteers aged 19–80 years were enrolled into four groups based upon age quartiles (19–35, 36–50, 51–65 and 66–80 years). Demographic, anthropometric, metabolic covariates, vaspin and adiponectin were measured. The influence of age on plasma vaspin was analysed using SPSS 13.0.ResultsVaspin increased with ageing, with mean vaspin levels (ng/mL) of 1.01 ± 2.25, 1.67 ± 2.95, 2.05 ± 3.46 and 2.40 ± 3.06 for those between quartile ages 19–35, 36–50, 51–65 and 66–80 years. When divided into subgroups, vaspin increased with increasing age for both sexes, both insulin resistance and non-insulin resistance subjects and both obese and lean subjects. In univariate analyses, vaspin plasma level positively associated with age (r = 0.215, p = 0.003), adiponectin, insulin, homoeostasis model of assessment for insulin resistance index and waist–hip ratio in the whole population. The correlation between ageing and increasing vaspin remained significant after multivariate adjustments for factors such as sex, body mass index, waist–hip ratio, indices of glucose metabolism, white blood cell, lipid profile and adiponectin. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that age contributed 7.6 % on plasma vaspin level.ConclusionVaspin level increased with ageing, independent of sex, indices of glucose metabolism, lipid profile and other markers of adiposity.