Association between serum adipsin and plaque vulnerability determined by optical coherence tomography in patients with coronary artery disease

BackgroundEarly identification of vulnerable plaques is important for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) to reduce acute coronary events and improve their prognosis. We sought to examine the relationship between adipsin, an adipokine secreted from adipocytes, and plaque vulnerability in CAD patients.MethodsA total of 103 plaques from 99 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography were assessed by optical coherence tomography. The serum level of adipsin was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The accuracy of adipsin for detecting thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) was determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).ResultsOf the 99 patients, 49 were classified into the low adipsin group and 50 into the high adipsin group according to the median level of serum adipsin (2.43 µg/mL). The plaques from the high adipsin group exhibited a greater lipid index (2,700.0 vs. 1,975.9° × mm, P=0.015) and an increased proportion of TCFAs (41.2% vs. 21.2%, P=0.028) compared with the low adipsin group. Serum adipsin was found to be negatively correlated with fibrous cap thickness (ρ=−0.322, P=0.002), while it was positively correlated with average lipid arc (ρ=0.253, P=0.015), maximum lipid arc (ρ=0.211, P=0.044), lipid core length (ρ=0.241, P=0.021), lipid index (ρ=0.335, P=0.001), and vulnerability score (ρ=0.254, P=0.014). Furthermore, adipsin had a significant association with TCFAs (OR: 1.290, 95% CI: 1.048–1.589, P=0.016) in the multivariate analysis, while having a moderate diagnostic accuracy for TCFAs (AUC: 0.710, 95% CI: 0.602–0.817, P<0.001).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that serum adipsin is significantly and positively correlated with the incidence of TCFAs. The application of adipsin as a biomarker may offer improvement in the diagnosis of vulnerable plaques and clinical benefits for CAD patients.     

高脂饮食非酒精性脂肪性肝病大鼠肝脏成脂相关基因表达增强

目的探讨非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD）大鼠肝脏成脂相关基因mRNA表达的动态变化.方法模型组SD大鼠给予高脂饮食饲养,分批于实验第4、8、12、16、24周处死,同期设普通饮食饲养大鼠作对照.RT-PCR分别检测肝脏固醇调节元件结合蛋白1c（SREBP-1c）及其靶基因脂肪酸合成酶（FAS）、脂联素、抵抗素mRNA表达.结果模型组大鼠4周肝脏可见散在性肝细胞脂肪变性,8周为单纯性脂肪性肝炎,12～24周从脂肪性肝炎进展为脂肪性肝炎伴肝纤维化.从实验第4周起,模型组大鼠肝脏SREBP-1c和FAS mRNA表达逐渐增强,至24周时分别较对照组升高5～6倍和2～2.5倍;模型组大鼠肝脏从第12周起出现脂联素和抵抗素mRNA表达,两者表达量均随造模时间延长而增强.相关分析显示,SREBP-1c、FAS、脂联素、抵抗素mRNA表达量均与肝脂肪变程度呈正相关（r值分别为0.808、0.834、0.592、0.577,P值均＜0.01）.结论高脂饮食NAFLD大鼠肝脏SREBP-1c、FAS、脂联素、抵抗素等成脂基因表达增强,提示脂肪变性的肝细胞可能部分具有脂肪细胞的特征,即发生了成脂性改变.     

Clinical assessment of the specificity of an adipsin rapid test for the diagnosis of preeclampsia

Objective: To evaluate the specificity of the adipsin rapid test in clinical practice for the diagnosis of preeclampsia (PE). Methods: A total of 1144 pregnant women were recruited in this study: 44 pregnant women with PE and 1100 healthy pregnancies as controls. Urine samples were collected and used, respectively, for the adipsin rapid test and the urinary dipstick test for protein detection. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated on the basis of the detection results. Results: In the 1144 women examined with the adipsin rapid test for PE diagnosis, the sensitivity and specificity were 93.2% and 98.8%, respectively; the total accuracy was 98.6%. For the 1144 women tested with urinary dipstick, the sensitivity and specificity were 93.2% and 40.5%, respectively; and the total accuracy was 42.5%. Conclusion: Both the adipsin rapid test and the urinary dipstick test are noninvasive and inexpensive rapid tests for the diagnosis of PE. However, the adipsin rapid test was proven more reliable since it had a higher sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy.     

肥胖和2型糖尿病患者脂肪细胞素的变化

目的了解脂肪细胞素在肥胖及2型糖尿病(T2DM)患者血浆中的水平,探讨脂肪细胞素对肥胖及T2DM发生发展的作用。方法选择在沈阳医学院附属沈洲医院体检科、内分泌科门诊及住院患者作为研究对象:单纯肥胖组50名、肥胖合并T2DM组50名、对照组50名。检测其血浆脂肪细胞素水平,同时进行体格检查及血脂、血糖、血清胰岛素检测,并计算胰岛素抵抗指数。结果 3组受检者体质指数、血脂、血糖及血清胰岛素水平的差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。与对照组比较,单纯肥胖组血浆中脂肪细胞素水平及胰岛素抵抗指数升高,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01);与对照组及单纯肥胖组比较,肥胖合并T2DM组血浆中脂肪细胞素水平及胰岛素抵抗指数升高,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。血浆中脂肪细胞素与体质指数、甘油三酯、血糖、血清胰岛素及胰岛素抵抗指数呈正相关(P<0.05)。多元逐步回归分析显示,体质指数、甘油三酯、口服葡萄糖耐量试验2h血糖、血清胰岛素及胰岛素抵抗指数是脂肪细胞素的独立危险因素。结论血浆中脂肪细胞素水平的升高可能与肥胖和2型糖尿病的发病机制有关。     

Peptides from adipose tissue in mental disorders

Adipose tissue is a dynamic endocrine organ that is essential to regulation of metabolism in humans. A new approach to mental disorders led to research on involvement of adipokines in the etiology of mental disorders and mood states and their impact on the health status of psychiatric patients, as well as the effects of treatment for mental health disorders on plasma levels of adipokines. There is evidence that disturbances in adipokine secretion are important in the pathogenesis, clinical presentation and outcome of mental disorders. Admittedly leptin and adiponectin are involved in pathophysiology of depression. A lot of disturbances in secretion and plasma levels of adipokines are observed in eating disorders with a significant impact on the symptoms and course of a disease. It is still a question whether observed dysregulation of adipokines secretion are primary or secondary. Moreover findings in this area are somewhat inconsistent, owing to differences in patient age, sex, socioeconomic status, smoking habits, level of physical activity, eating pathology, general health or medication. This was the rationale for our detailed investigation into the role of the endocrine functions of adipose tissue in mental disorders. It seems that we are continually at the beginning of understanding of the relation between adipose tissue and mental disorders.     

Inhibition of complement alternative pathway in mice with Fab antibody to recombinant adipsin/factor D

Mouse adipsin is a serine protease secreted mainly by adipocytes. Similarly to factor D of human complement, it cleaves factor B. That adipsin is the equivalent of human factor D in the mouse is further suggested by their structural homology. Specific antisera against recombinant mouse adipsin (r-adipsin) were produced in rabbits. Anti-r-adipsin IgG was shown to bind to radiolabeled r-adipsin and to inhibit its hemolytic activity. In vitro, these antibodies Ab and Fab fragments thereof inhibited the adipsin/factor D hemolytic activity of mouse serum. They also blocked C3 activation induced by cobra venom factor (CVF), but did not interfere with classical pathway function. After intravenous injection of antir-adipsin Fab into BALB/c mice, the adipsin/factor D hemolytic activity of serum was abolished during a 4-h period. The C3 depleting effect of CVF injected intravenously was significantly delayed in BALB/c mice which had been pretreated with anti-r-adipsin Fab. These experiments demonstrate that mouse adipsin is the only form of mouse factor D and that anti-r-adipsin antibody can be used to produce a specific inhibition of the alternative pathway in vivo.     

Relationship between serum adipsin and the first phase of glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion in individuals with different glucose tolerance

Aims/Introduction

To detect serum adipsin levels in individuals with different glucose tolerance, and investigate the relationship between adipsisn and the first phase of insulin secretion.

Materials and Methods

A total of 56 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus, 36 patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and 45 individuals with normal glucose tolerance were enrolled. Intravenous glucose tolerance tests were carried out to evaluate pancreatic β‐cell function. The serum levels of adipsin, interleukin‐1β and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein were assayed.

Results

Serum adipsin levels were significantly lower in the type 2 diabetes mellitus and the IGT patients than those in the normal glucose tolerance group (P < 0.05). The acute insulin response and area under the curve showed a progressive decrease in the normal glucose tolerance and IGT groups, and decreased to the lowest levels in the type 2 diabetes mellitus group (P < 0.05). Adipsin was found to be negatively correlated with waist‐to‐hip ratio, free fatty acid, fasting plasma glucose, 2‐h postprandial plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, interleukin‐1β and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (P < 0.05 or P < 0.001), and positively correlated with homeostasis model assessment of β‐cell function, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, the area under the curve of the first phase insulin secretion and acute insulin response (P < 0.05 or P < 0.001). Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that homeostasis model assessment for β‐cell function and acute insulin response were independently related to adipsin (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Serum adipsin levels were lower in type 2 diabetes mellitus and IGT patients, and correlated with the first phase of insulin secretion. Adipsin might be involved in the pathology of type 2 diabetes mellitus.     

2型糖尿病外周动脉疾病患者血浆adipsin的水平变化

目的了解adipsin在2型糖尿病患者及2型糖尿病外周动脉疾病患者血浆中的水平,探讨adipsin对2型糖尿病及外周动脉疾病发生发展的作用。方法选择2型糖尿病患者50名、2型糖尿病外周动脉疾病患者50名、正常对照者50名。检测血浆adipsin水平,同时测量踝臂指数,检测血压、血糖、血清胰岛素、血脂及计算体质指数、胰岛素抵抗指数等。结果 2型糖尿病外周动脉疾病组血浆adipsin水平较2型糖尿病组及正常对照组升高,2型糖尿病组血浆adipsin水平较正常对照组升高。adipsin水平与踝臂指数呈负相关。结论 adipsin水平的升高可能参与2型糖尿病外周动脉疾病的发生发展。