Association Of High Molecular Weight Adiponectin Research Articles

Plasma Levels of Fatty Acid–Binding Protein 4, Retinol-Binding Protein 4, High-Molecular-Weight Adiponectin, and Cardiovascular Mortality Among Men With Type 2 Diabetes

To examine select adipokines, including fatty acid-binding protein 4, retinol-binding protein 4, and high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin in relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Plasma levels of fatty acid-binding protein 4, retinol-binding protein 4, and HMW adiponectin were measured in 950 men with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. After an average of 22 years of follow-up (1993-2015), 580 deaths occurred, of whom 220 died of CVD. After multivariate adjustment for covariates, higher levels of fatty acid-binding protein 4 were significantly associated with a higher CVD mortality: comparing extreme tertiles, the hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval of CVD mortality was 1.78 (1.22-2.59; P trend=0.001). A positive association was also observed for HMW adiponectin: the hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) was 2.07 (1.42-3.06; P trend=0.0002), comparing extreme tertiles, whereas higher retinol-binding protein 4 levels were nonsignificantly associated with a decreased CVD mortality with an hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of 0.73 (0.50-1.07; P trend=0.09). A Mendelian randomization analysis suggested that the causal relationships of HMW adiponectin and retinol-binding protein 4 would be directionally opposite to those observed based on the biomarkers, although none of the Mendelian randomization associations achieved statistical significance. These data suggest that higher levels of fatty acid-binding protein 4 and HMW adiponectin are associated with elevated CVD mortality among men with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Biological mechanisms underlying these observations deserve elucidation, but the associations of HMW adiponectin may partially reflect altered adipose tissue functionality among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Effect of pronounced weight loss on visceral fat, liver steatosis and adiponectin isoforms

Weight loss induced by bariatric surgery is an effective method to reverse obesity and comorbidities. The aim of this prospective weight loss study was to investigate changes of body fat distribution in relation to adiponectin and its isoforms and further to investigate the influence of both body fat distribution and adiponectin on the degree of liver steatosis. Fifteen severely obese female patients (body mass index 43.1 +/- 4.1, mean age 34.5 +/- 8.6 years) were examined before and after surgical treatment. Grading of fatty liver disease and the subcutaneous and visceral fat diameters were determined by abdominal ultrasonography. Metabolic parameters were determined using standard methods; serum total adiponectin and its isoforms were detected by enzyme immuno assay (EIA). Mean weight loss was 28.3 kg, which was mostly due to a loss in fat mass, accompanied by an increase in total adiponectin and the high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin isoform. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) diameter was highly correlated with liver steatosis, even more strongly than the parameters of liver function. In addition, liver steatosis correlated negatively with HMW adiponectin and binary logistic regression revealed that changes in fat mass, HMW adiponectin and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were the best predictors for changes in the degree of hepatic steatosis. Our results suggest that circulating HMW adiponectin is associated with both VAT and liver steatosis. In summary, the major findings were that the VAT diameter is highly correlated with liver steatosis, even stronger than the parameters of liver function and the association of HMW adiponectin with liver steatosis was better than with total adiponectin.