Circulating adipocyte-fatty acid binding protein levels predict the development of the metabolic syndrome: a 5-year prospective study.
BACKGROUND
Adipocyte-fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP), a major cytoplasmic protein in adipocytes, plays a central role in the development of diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in experimental animals. We have previously shown that A-FABP is present in the bloodstream and that its circulating levels correlate with metabolic risk factors in a cross-sectional study. In the present study, we further evaluated the prospective association of A-FABP with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) as defined by the updated National Cholesterol Education Program criteria.


RESULTS
In the present study, 495 nondiabetic adults from the population-based Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study were prospectively followed up for 5 years. The relationship of serum A-FABP with the MetS and its components was investigated. At baseline, high A-FABP levels were associated with the MetS (odds ratio, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.5 to 10.4; highest versus lowest sex-specific tertile, adjusted for age, body mass index, the homeostasis model assessment index for insulin resistance, C-reactive protein, and adiponectin, P=0.005). On long-term follow-up, subjects with higher baseline A-FABP levels had progressively worse cardiometabolic risk profile and increasing risk of the MetS. Among 376 subjects without the MetS at baseline, 50 had developed it at 5 years. Apart from the homeostasis model assessment index for insulin resistance (P=0.001), baseline A-FABP was the only independent predictor of the development of the MetS during the 5-year follow-up (odds ratio, 4.7; 95% CI, 1.8 to 11.9; highest versus lowest sex-specific tertile, P=0.001, adjusted for the homeostasis model assessment index for insulin resistance and body mass index). A-FABP was predictive of the MetS even after adjustment for each of its individual components.


CONCLUSIONS
Circulating A-FABP predicts the development of the MetS independently of adiposity and insulin resistance.
Xu
Aimin
A
Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Rd, Hong Kong, China.
Tso
Annette W K
AW
Cheung
Bernard M Y
BM
Wang
Yu
Y
Wat
Nelson M S
NM
Fong
Carol H Y
CH
Yeung
Dennis C Y
DC
Janus
Edward D
ED
Sham
Pak C
PC
Lam
Karen S L
KS
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006706:Homeostasis; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D001786:Blood Glucose; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins