Total and High–Molecular Weight Adiponectin in Relation to Metabolic Variables at Baseline and in Response to an Exercise Treatment Program
Comparative evaluation of three assays
- Matthias Blüher, MD1,
- Aoife M. Brennan, MD2,
- Theodoros Kelesidis, MD2,
- Jürgen Kratzsch, PHD3,
- Mathias Fasshauer, MD1,
- Susan Kralisch, PHD1,
- Catherine J. Williams, MPH2 and
- Christos S. Mantzoros, MD2
- 1Medical Department III, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- 2Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- 3Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Christos Mantzoros, MD, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Ave., ST816, Boston, MA 02215. E-mail: cmantzor{at}bidmc.harvard.edu
Abstract
OBJECTIVE—Adiponectin, an adipocyte-secreted hormone, circulates in the serum in several multimeric forms. Compared with total adiponectin, high–molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin has been suggested to be a better predictor of metabolic parameters and insulin sensitivity in humans. Our objective was to compare total adiponectin with HMW adiponectin as predictors of metabolic variables and insulin sensitivity at both baseline and after an exercise intervention.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We obtained blood samples from 60 men and women with normal glucose tolerance (n = 20), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (n = 20), or type 2 diabetes (n = 20) at baseline and after 4 weeks of training to measure metabolic variables. Using commercially available assays, we measured plasma total adiponectin using LINCO, Mediagnost, and ALPCO assays and HMW adiponectin using an ALPCO assay.
RESULTS—HMW adiponectin and total adiponectin (ALPCO) had similar ability to predict the presence of insulin resistance. Total adiponectin, as measured by radioimmunoassay (LINCO) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Mediagnost), correlated most strongly with measures of insulin sensitivity (P < 0.01) and lipid profile (P < 0.01) at baseline, showed greater improvements of adiponectin levels (P < 0.001), was more closely associated with improvements of lipid measures with exercise training (P < 0.01), and more accurately predicted insulin resistance and IGT in comparison with total adiponectin or HMW measured with the ALPCO ELISA.
CONCLUSIONS—These results do not support the superiority of HMW over total adiponectin (measured using currently available assays) in assessing metabolic variables at baseline or in response to physical training. Moreover, there are significant differences in the ability of commercially available assays for total adiponectin to predict metabolic variables.
- AUC, area under the curve
- ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
- HMW, high molecular weight
- IGT, impaired glucose tolerance
- NGT, normal glucose tolerance
- OGTT, oral glucose tolerance test
Footnotes
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M.B. and A.M.B. contributed equally to this work.
A table elsewhere in this issue shows conventional and Système International (SI) units and conversion factors for many substances.
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
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- Accepted October 26, 2006.
- Received June 30, 2006.
- DIABETES CARE
