Serum levels of the adipokine RBP-4 in relation to renal function

doi:10.2337/dc07-0275

Serum levels of the adipokine RBP-4 in relation to renal function

Michaela Ziegelmeier, MS¹,
Anette Bachmann, MD¹,
Jeannette Seeger, MS¹,
Ulrike Lossner, BS¹,
Jürgen Kratzsch, PhD²,
Matthias Blüher, MD^1,,³,
Michael Stumvoll, MD^1,,³ and
Mathias Fasshauer, MD (mathias.fasshauer{at}medizin.uni-leipzig.de)^1,,³

¹ University of Leipzig, Department of Internal Medicine III, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
² University of Leipzig, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
³ Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany

Abstract

Objective: RBP-4 was recently identified as an adipokine inducing insulin resistance. In the current study, we investigated RBP-4 serum levels in diabetic and non-diabetic patients on chronic hemodialysis (CD) as compared to controls with a glomerular filtration rate above 50 ml/min. The majority of the diabetic subjects used oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin.

Research Design and Methods: RBP-4 was determined by ELISA in control (n=59) and CD (n=58) patients and correlated to clinical and biochemical measures of renal function, glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as inflammation, in both groups.

Results: Mean serum RBP-4 levels were almost 4-fold higher in CD patients (102 ± 30 mg/l) as compared to controls (28 ± 8 mg/l). Furthermore, serum creatinine independently predicted RBP-4 concentrations in multiple regression analyses in both, control subjects and CD patients. In addition, CRP and systolic blood pressure independently and negatively correlated with RBP-4 serum concentrations in CD patients but not controls. In contrast, markers of glucose and lipid metabolism were not independently related to serum RBP-4 in control subjects or CD patients.

Conclusions: We show that markers of renal function are independently related to serum RBP-4 levels.