Adiponectin as a biomarker of the metabolic syndrome

The metabolic syndrome, a cluster of abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension and hyperglycemia, is a common basis for atherosclerotic vascular diseases in industrial countries exposed to overnutrition. Adiponectin is an adipose-derived plasma protein with anti-atherogenic and insulin-sensitizing activities.

A total of 661 Japanese adults (479 men, 53+/-10 years; 182 women 56+/-10 years) were enrolled. Plasma adiponectin concentrations correlated negatively with waist circumference, visceral fat area, serum triglyceride concentration, fasting plasma glucose, fasting plasma insulin, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both sexes. A positive correlation was found between plasma adiponectin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations in both sexes. The mean number of components of the metabolic syndrome increased as the plasma adiponectin concentration decreased: 2.57+/-1.34 for men and 2.00+/-1.51 for women with adiponectin concentrations <4.0 microg/ml. In all, 52.3% of men and 37.5% of women with adiponectin concentrations <4.0 microg/ml fulfilled the criteria for metabolic syndrome.

Hypoadiponectinemia is closely associated with the clinical phenotype of the metabolic syndrome and measuring the plasma concentration of adiponectin may be useful for management of the metabolic syndrome.