title: Decreased concentration of adiponectin together with a selective reduction of its high molecular weight oligomers is involved in metabolic complications of myotonic dystrophy type 1.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The hormone adiponectin exerts beneficial pleiotropic effects on biological and metabolic processes. Although a well-recognized insulin sensitizer, its characteristic has yet to be clearly defined. Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a rare genetic disorder that features muscle wasting and metabolic comorbidity, and patients have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. We analyzed circulating levels of adiponectin and its oligomers to determine whether their expression correlates with metabolic alterations in DM1 patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured the anthropometric and biochemical features and three insulin resistance (IR) indices (homeostasis model assessment, quantitative insulin sensitivity check index, and McAuley) of 21 DM1 patients and of 82 age-, sex-, and weight-matched controls. In the blood samples of patients and controls, adiponectin levels were measured by ELISA, and its oligomers were characterized by using western blotting and gel filtration. The adiponectin gene was molecularly analyzed in patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DM1 patients had significantly higher body mass index, waist circumference, triglycerides (TGs), glucose, tumor necrosis factor α, and IR; conversely, they had significantly lower concentrations of total serum adiponectin with a selective, pronounced decrease of its high molecular weight (HMW) oligomers. There was a strong negative correlation between adiponectin and TGs in DM1 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results endorse the hypothesis that decreased expression of adiponectin together with a selective reduction of its HMW oligomers contributes to the worsening of IR and its metabolic complications in DM1 patients. These findings suggest that adiponectin and HMW oligomers may serve as biomarkers and are promising therapeutic agents for IR and its consequences in DM1.
authors.affiliation: CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate Scarl, Via Gaetano Salvatore 486, Naples, Italy. daniele@ceinge.unina.it
authors.forename: Aurora
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daniele
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Rosa
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Cristofaro
authors.forename: Maria Ludovica
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Monaco
authors.forename: Mariorosario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masullo
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Porcile
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Capasso
authors.forename: Gioacchino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tedeschi
authors.forename: Giovannangelo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oriani
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Costanzo
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009223:Myotonic Dystrophy / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D055503:Protein Multimerization / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers