Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 7, 2026

Visualization and Quantification of Mesenchymal Cell Adipogenic Differentiation Potential with a Lineage Specific Marker
Published on: March 31, 2018
FABP4 plasma concentrations are determined by acquired metabolic derangements rather than genetic determinants
D Ibarretxe1, J Girona1, N Plana1
1Vascular Medicine and Metabolism Unit, Research Unit on Lipids and Atherosclerosis, "Sant Joan" University Hospital, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, IISPV, Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Disorders (CIBERDEM), Reus, Spain.
Background And Aims:
Circulating FABP4 is strongly associated with metabolic and cardiovascular risk (CVR) and has been proposed as a new risk biomarker. Several FABP4 gene polymorphisms have been associated with protein expression in vitro and metabolic and vascular alterations in vivo. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of FABP4 polymorphisms on FABP4 plasma levels and subclinical arteriosclerosis in patients with obesity, metabolic syndrome (MS) or type 2 diabetes (T2DM).
Methods And Results:
We studied 440 individuals with obesity, MS, T2DM or other cardiovascular risk conditions who attended the vascular medicine and metabolism unit of our hospital. Anamnesis, physical examination and anthropometry data were recorded. Standard biochemical parameters were determined. Plasma FABP4 concentrations were measured. Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) was assessed using ultrasonography. The following FABP4 gene single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed: rs3834363, rs16909233, rs1054135, rs77878271, rs10808846 and rs8192688. None of the studied gene allele variants were hyper-represented in patients grouped according the presence of metabolic alterations nor were they associated with the FABP4 concentration. The FABP4 gene variants did not determine cIMT differences between the groups. In a multivariate analysis, gender and BMI, but not gene variants, significantly determined plasma FABP4 concentrations.
Conclusions:
In clinical settings, the circulating FABP4 levels are determined by the acquired metabolic derangements and not genetic variation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Metabolism: Overview
Drug Distribution: Plasma Protein Binding
Pharmacogenomics: Identification of New Drug Targets
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu

