Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A is related to gender and to adipocytokine levels: results of the Health Survey of Catalonia.
OBJECTIVE
Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) is a protease promoting IGF1 tissue availability and considered as a new biomarker of cardiovascular disease.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relationship between PAPP-A concentrations and anthropometric variables, physical activity, smoking status, glucose homoeostasis and adipocytokines in healthy adults.


METHODS
One hundred and forty-nine subjects (77 women; mean age 39·7 ± 14 years; mean BMI 23·7 ± 1·9 kg/m(2) ) were randomly selected from 8000 adults of The Health Survey of Catalonia. Possible effects of gender, age, body composition, smoking status, physical activity, glucose homoeostasis and adipocytokines on PAPP-A concentrations were assessed.


RESULTS
Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A was significantly higher in men than in women [1·04 (0·61-0·44) vs 0·61 (0·41-0·90) μIU/ml; P < 0·0001]; there were no differences in relation to physical activity or smoking status. PAPP-A showed a negative correlation with leptin in men (P = 0·01) and women (P = 0·05), and a positive correlation with adiponectin (P = 0·006) in women and a trend (P = 0·073) in men. Homoeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) showed a negative correlation with PAPP-A only in women (P = 0·019). No association was found with blood pressure, IGF1, lipids or glucose in either gender. When a multiple regression analysis was performed including gender, age, BMI, waist-hip ratio, HOMA-IR, adiponectin and leptin as confounders, PAPP-A was independently correlated with adiponectin (β = 0·23; P = 0·02) and leptin (β = -0·33; P = 0·04).


CONCLUSIONS
Our study shows a sexual dimorphism of PAPP-A, and a possible influence of leptin and adiponectin on its concentrations in healthy subjects. The mechanisms responsible for this relationship remain to be determined.
Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.
Clara
C
Joaquín
Maria L
ML
Granada
Cruz
C
Pastor
Conxa
C
Castell
Rocío
R
Puig
Núria
N
Alonso
Enric
E
Serra
Anna
A
Sanmartí
Marius
M
Foz
Manel
M
Puig-Domingo
D054392:Adipokines / Q000097:blood*; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A / Q000378:metabolism*; D012737:Sex Factors
D054392:Adipokines; D052242:Adiponectin; D020738:Leptin; D011266:Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A