Circulating omentin is associated with coronary artery disease in men

Obesity is closely associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Omentin is a fat-derived secreted factor that is downregulated in obesity. We investigated whether circulating omentin associates with the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD).

The consecutive 78 male subjects were enrolled from patients who underwent coronary angiography. Sixty one age-matched male subjects served as controls. Plasma omentin concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Plasma levels of omentin correlated negatively with body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c and total cholesterol levels, and positively with HDL cholesterol and adiponectin levels. Circulating omentin was independently associated with hemoglobin A1c and HDL cholesterol in a multiple regression analysis. Plasma levels of omentin were markedly lower in CAD patients than in control subjects (CAD: 102.8 ± 69.0 ng/ml, control: 454.7 ± 128.6 ng/ml, P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis with BMI, systolic blood pressure, glucose, hemoglobin A1c, HDL cholesterol, adiponectin and omentin revealed that plasma omentin levels were independently correlated with CAD.

These data indicate that low levels of omentin are closely linked with the presence of CAD and that omentin serves as a novel biomarker for CAD.