Circulating levels of chemerin and adiponectin are higher in ulcerative colitis and chemerin is elevated in Crohn's disease.
BACKGROUND
Chemerin is an adipokine that stimulates chemotaxis of cells of the innate immune system. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is linked to an impaired immune response and, therefore, we hypothesized that systemic chemerin may be altered in IBD patients.


METHODS
Serum was collected from patients with Crohn's disease (CD, 230 patients), ulcerative colitis (UC, 80 patients), and healthy controls (HC, 80 probands). Chemerin and adiponectin, which has already been measured in the serum of similar cohorts by others, were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).


RESULTS
Chemerin was elevated in IBD compared to HC and was higher in male CD than UC patients. Female and male CD patients had lower adiponectin levels compared to UC, and adiponectin was lower in female CD patients compared to female HC. Adiponectin tended to be higher in female and male UC patients compared to HC and this difference became significant in the whole study group. Correlations with disease activity were only found in males. Here, chemerin was higher in CD patients on remission but was reduced in UC with nonactive disease. Adiponectin was higher in UC with inactive disease. Treatment with corticosteroids was linked to elevated adiponectin in male CD patients and higher chemerin in female UC patients. Unlike adiponectin, which was elevated in female serum in all cohorts, chemerin was only higher in female UC patients.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings further indicate potential regulatory functions of adipokines in intestinal inflammation that are partly gender-dependent and that may even be associated with the distinct immunopathogenesis of UC and CD.
Weigert
Johanna
J
Department of Internal Medicine I, Regensburg University Hospital, Regensburg, Germany.
Obermeier
Florian
F
Neumeier
Markus
M
Wanninger
Josef
J
Filarsky
Michael
M
Bauer
Sabrina
S
Aslanidis
Charalampos
C
Rogler
Gerhard
G
Ott
Claudia
C
Schäffler
Andreas
A
Schölmerich
Jürgen
J
Buechler
Christa
C
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018925:Chemokines / Q000097:blood*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D018925:Chemokines; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C478630:RARRES2 protein, human