title: Serum levels of the adipokine adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein are increased in preeclampsia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious complication of pregnancy which is associated with an increased future metabolic and cardiovascular risk for both mother and newborn. Recently, adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (AFABP) was introduced as a novel adipokine, serum levels of which independently correlate with the development of the metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease in humans. In this study, we investigated serum concentrations of the adipokine AFABP in patients with PE as compared to healthy controls of similar gestational age.
  
  
  METHODS
  AFABP serum levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in control (n = 20) and PE (n = 16) patients. Furthermore, AFABP was correlated to clinical and biochemical measures of renal function, glucose, and lipid metabolism, as well as inflammation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean maternal AFABP concentrations were significantly elevated in PE (24.5 +/- 9.7 microg/l) as compared to controls (14.8 +/- 7.1 microg/l). Furthermore, AFABP serum levels correlated positively with age, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, serum creatinine, free fatty acids (FFAs), leptin, and C-reactive protein (CRP). In multivariate analyses, BMI and serum creatinine remained independently associated with AFABP concentrations and explained 58% of the variation in AFABP levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrate that maternal AFABP serum concentrations are significantly increased in PE. Furthermore, BMI and serum creatinine are independent predictors of circulating AFABP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. mathias.fasshauer@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fasshauer
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seeger
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Waldeyer
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schrey
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ebert
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kratzsch
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lössner
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blüher
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stumvoll
authors.forename: Renaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stepan
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; D015415:Biomarkers; C493410:FABP4 protein, human; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D003404:Creatinine