title: Chemerin is associated with markers of inflammation and components of the metabolic syndrome but does not predict coronary atherosclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chemerin is a recently discovered adipokine that regulates adipocyte differentiation and modulates chemotaxis and activation of dendritic cells and macrophages. Given the convergence of adipocyte and macrophage function, chemerin may provide an interesting link between obesity, inflammation and atherosclerosis in humans. We sought to examine the relationship of i) chemerin and markers of inflammation, ii) chemerin and components of the metabolic syndrome, and iii) chemerin and coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden and morphology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum chemerin levels were determined in 303 patients with stable typical or atypical chest pain who underwent dual-source multi-slice CT-angiography to exclude coronary artery stenosis. Atherosclerotic plaques were classified as calcified, mixed, or non-calcified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chemerin levels were highly correlated with high sensitivity C-reactive protein (r=0.44, P<0.0001), interleukin-6 (r=0.18, P=0.002), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (r=0.24, P<0.0001), resistin (r=0.28, P<0.0001), and leptin (r=0.36, P<0.0001) concentrations. Furthermore, chemerin was associated with components of the metabolic syndrome including body mass index (r=0.23, P=0.0002), triglycerides (r=0.29, P<0.0001), HDL-cholesterol (r=-0.18, P=0.003), and hypertension (P<0.0001). In bivariate analysis, chemerin levels were weakly correlated with coronary plaque burden (r=0.16, P=0.006) and the number of non-calcified plaques (r=0.14, P=0.02). These associations, however, were lost after adjusting for established cardiovascular risk factors (odds ratio, OR 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.97-1.41, P=0.11 for coronary plaque burden; OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.96-1.17, P=0.22 for non-calcified plaques).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chemerin is strongly associated with markers of inflammation and components of the metabolic syndrome. However, chemerin does not predict coronary atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Munich, Campus Grosshadern, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lehrke
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Greif
authors.forename: Renee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: Rüdiger P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Laubender
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: von Ziegler
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lebherz
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tittus
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reiser
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Göke
authors.forename: Alexander W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Leber
authors.forename: Klaus G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Parhofer
authors.forename: Uli C
authors.initials: UC
authors.lastname: Broedl
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D018925:Chemokines / Q000097:blood*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D052243:Resistin / Q000097:blood; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D020738:Leptin; C478630:RARRES2 protein, human; D052243:Resistin; D014280:Triglycerides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002784:Cholesterol