Association Of Serum Adipokines Levels With Metabolic Syndrome In Adults

Metabolic syndrome(MetS)is the presence of a series of cardiovascular risk factors including abdominal obesity,hypertension,dyslipidemia,and disturbed carbohydrate metabolism.MetS affects ~20% of adults in the Western world and ~33% of adults in China.MetS has become a serious public health problem worldwide.Adipose tissue is not only involved in energy storage but also functions as an endocrine organ that secretes various adipokines,which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome.The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in serum levels of asprosin,glypican 4(GPC4),proneurotensin(PNT)and clusterin(CLU)among metabolic syndrome(MetS),non-metabolic syndrome(non-MetS)and control subjects,and to find the potential relationship between serum levels of these adipokines and MetS in the Han population from Guizhou Province.The eligible participants from Guizhou Province in China were recruited from the National Physical and Health Survey Project of the 12 th Five-Year Plan of Science and Technology Support.In total,312 subjects were divided into the control group(n=70),the non-metabolic syndrome group(central obesity combined with 0-1 abnormal metabolic components,n=84),and the metabolic syndrome group(central obesity group combined with 2-4 abnormal metabolic components,n=158)according to the 2005 International Diabetes Federation(IDF)standard definition of MetS.This survey included a questionnaire investigation,physical examination and laboratory measurements.Serum levels of asprosin,GPC4,PNT and CLU were measured by ELISA kits.1.Association between serum asprosin level and MetSSerum asprosin level in MetS group was 76% higher than that in controls(2.73±0.69 vs.1.55±1.00 ng/L,P<0.001).Serum asprosin level was positively correlated with gender,body mass index(BMI),body fat rate,waist circumference(WC),waist to hip ratio(WHR),total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),fasting blood glucose(FBG),fasting insulin(FINS),homeostasis model evaluation of insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR),systolic blood pressure(SBP),and diastolic blood pressure(DBP).High-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)and creatinine(Cr)were negatively associated with serum asprosin level.Body fat rate,FINS,FBG,TG,uric acid(UA),and Cr were independent factors associated with serum asprosin level in all subjects.According to tertiles of asprosin,multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of MetS was 40.60-fold higher in subjects with the highest tertile of serum asprosin levels than those with the lowest tertile [odds ratio(OR)= 40.60,95% confidence interval(CI)11.29~145.93,P<0.001],after adjusting for gender,age,address,education,exercise,activities,smoking,and alcohol consumption.2.Association between serum GPC4 level and MetSSerum GPC4 level in MetS group was 5% higher than that in controls(2.35±0.40 vs.2.24±0.28 ng/mL,P=0.029).Serum GPC4 level was correlated positively with age,FBG,FINS,HOMA-IR,TG,TC,SBP,DBP,urea,Cr,and UA in all subjects.Age,gender,FBG,UA,and Cr were independent factors associated with serum GPC4 level.In ordinal logistic regression adjusting for confounding factors,the third tertile of GPC4(relative to the first tertile)was associated with significantly increased odds of MetS progression(OR=1.96,95% CI 1.11–3.46,P=0.021).3.Association between serum PNT level and MetSSerum PNT level in MetS group was 1.10 times higher than that in controls(57.54±13.16 vs.52.19±13.28 ng/L,P=0.010).Serum PNT level was negatively correlated with age,but positively associated with BMI,body fat rate,WHR,FBG,TC,TG,DBP,and Cr in all subjects.FBG,TG,LDL-C,and age were independent factors for serum PNT level.By ordinal logistic regression,the highest tertile of serum PNT levels was associated with the risk of MetS progression(vs.the lowest PNT tertile)(OR=2.18,95%CI 1.22~3.87,P<0.01)after adjusting for confounding factors.4.Association between serum CLU level and MetSSerum CLU level in MetS group was 12% lower than that in controls(74.37±24.06 vs.84.92±27.07 μg/mL,P=0.004).Serum CLU level was positively associated with HDL-C and negatively correlated with BMI,body fat rate,WC,WHR,FINS,HOMA-IR,TG,and DBP.BMI,FBG,and HDL-C were independent factors associated with serum CLU level in all subjects.According to tertiles of CLU,ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of MetS progression was 49% lower in subjects with the highest tertile of serum CLU levels than those with the lowest CLU tertile(OR=0.51,95%CI 0.29~0.91,P=0.022)after adjusting for confounding factors.It was found that in MetS subjects the levels of serum asprosin,GPC4,and PNT were significantly higher and serum CLU levels was significantly lower than those in controls in the Han population from Guizhou Province.Serum asprosin,GPC4,PNT,and CLU levels were significantly associated with the risk of MetS progression and some metabolic-related components.Serum asprosin,GPC4,and PNT may be the risk factors of MetS,while serum CLU may be the protective factor of MetS.