Impact of oxidative stress on plasma adiponectin in patients with chronic heart failure

Adiponectin, which is an adipocyte-specific cytokine that has a beneficial effect in cardiovascular disease, may be downregulated by oxidative stress in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Plasma levels of both adiponectin and biomarkers of oxidative stress are increased and have a prognostic impact on CHF patients.

The plasma adiponectin level was measured in 116 patients with CHF (left ventricular ejection fraction <45%) who underwent cardiac catheterization, and these findings were compared with the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels, hemodynamic parameters and plasma oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) level as a marker of oxidative stress. There was no correlation between the plasma adiponectin level and hemodynamic parameters, but there was a positive correlation with the cardiac natriuretic peptides [ANP (r(s)=0.464, p<0.0001) or BNP (r(s)=0.489, p<0.0001)]. There was a significant negative correlation between plasma adiponectin level and oxLDL (r=-0.245, p=0.0079). In the stepwise multivariate analysis, a high level of natriuretic peptide (log BNP) (p=0.0098), and a low level of oxLDL (p=0.0105) were independent predictors of a high adiponectin level in CHF patients.

The plasma adiponectin level is regulated not only by cardiac natriuretic peptides but also by oxidative stress in patients with CHF.