Resistin is not associated with insulin sensitivity or the metabolic syndrome in humans.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to further elucidate the relationship between resistin and insulin sensitivity, body fat distribution and the metabolic syndrome in humans.


METHODS
We measured plasma resistin levels in 177 non-diabetic subjects (75 male, 102 female; age 32-75 years). BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, lipids, glucose, plasminogen-activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), adiponectin and leptin levels were also measured. The insulin sensitivity index (S(I)) was quantified using Bergman's minimal model. Intra-abdominal fat (IAF) and subcutaneous fat (SQF) areas were quantified by CT scan. Presence of metabolic syndrome criteria was determined using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines.


RESULTS
When subjects were divided into categories based on BMI (< or > or =27.5 kg/m(2)) and S(I) (< or > or = 7 x 10(-5) min(-1) [pmol/l](-1)), resistin levels did not differ between the lean, insulin-sensitive (n=53, 5.36+/-0.3 ng/ml), lean, insulin-resistant (n=67, 5.70+/-0.4 ng/ml) and obese, insulin-resistant groups (n=48, 5.94+/-0.4 ng/ml; ANOVA p=0.65). Resistin correlated with age (r=-0.22, p<0.01), BMI (r=0.16, p=0.03) and SQF (r=0.19, p=0.01) but not with S(I) (p=0.31) or IAF (p=0.52). Resistin did not correlate with the number of metabolic syndrome criteria or any of the individual metabolic syndrome criteria. In contrast, adiponectin, PAI-1 and leptin each correlated with IAF, SQF and S(I). Additionally, the number of metabolic syndrome criteria correlated with adiponectin (r=-0.32, p<0.001), leptin (r=0.31, p<0.001) and PAI-1 (r=0.26, p=0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
In contrast to other adipokines, resistin is only weakly associated with body fat and is unlikely to be a major mediator of insulin resistance or the metabolic syndrome in humans.
Utzschneider
K M
KM
Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. kutzschn@u.washington.edu
Carr
D B
DB
Tong
J
J
Wallace
T M
TM
Hull
R L
RL
Zraika
S
S
Xiao
Q
Q
Mistry
J S
JS
Retzlaff
B M
BM
Knopp
R H
RH
Kahn
S E
SE
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 / Q000097:blood; D012044:Regression Analysis; D052243:Resistin / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology
C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D020738:Leptin; D017395:Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1; C499624:RETN protein, human; D052243:Resistin; C051321:SERPINE1 protein, human