Serum concentrations of high-molecular weight adiponectin and their association with sex steroids in premenopausal women

At present, the association between adiponectin and sex hormones in women is controversial. Recent studies suggest that it is high-molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin and the HMW to total adiponectin ratio rather than total adiponectin that are associated with antiatherogenic activities, insulin sensitivity, metabolic syndrome, and prediction of cardiovascular events. The present study aimed to investigate whether measuring HMW adiponectin and the HMW to total adiponectin ratio rather than total adiponectin might be more useful to detect an association between circulating female sex steroids and adipocytokines. In a clinical trial, we investigated the associations of total adiponectin, HMW adiponectin, and the HMW to adiponectin ratio with several androgens and estradiol in 36 healthy premenopausal women with regular cycles. No association between the investigated sex hormones and adiponectin was observed. The HMW adiponectin was negatively correlated with estradiol after adjustment for age and body mass index. The HMW to total adiponectin ratio was significantly negatively associated with testosterone, free testosterone, and androstenedione. The testosterone to estradiol ratio, as a parameter for the estrogen-androgen balance, was not associated with adiponectin or the HMW isoform. In conclusion, there is a negative association between estradiol and HMW adiponectin, and between testosterone, free testosterone, and androstenedione and the HMW to adiponectin ratio. Thus, one mechanism whereby female sex steroids may influence the cardiovascular risk of women could be alteration of the relationship between HMW and total adiponectin concentrations in plasma.