title: Adipocytokine levels mark endothelial function in normotensive individuals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endothelial dysfunction is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events. Inflammatory mediators released by the adipose tissue can lead to local insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction. This study addressed the relationship of adipocytokines with endothelial function and blood pressure.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 92 newly diagnosed, drug-naïve essential hypertensive patients (HT, mean age 49 yrs) without organ damage and 66 normotensive subjects (NT, mean age 47 yrs), by an automated system, we measured endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilation as brachial artery flow-mediated dilation before and after administration of glyceryl-trinitrate. Retinol binding protein-4 (RBP4) and resistin levels were determined by ELISA and RIA, respectively. Oxidative stress was evaluated by measuring serum malondyaldehyde (MDA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Flow-mediated dilation was significantly (p = 0.03) lower in HT (5.3 ± 2.6%) than NT (6.1 ± 3.1%), while response to glyceryl-trinitrate (7.5 ± 3.7% vs 7.9 ± 3.4%) was similar. RBP4 (60.6 ± 25.1 vs 61.3 ± 25.9 μg/ml), resistin (18.8 ± 5.3 vs 19.9 ± 6.1 ng/ml) and MDA levels (2.39 ± 1.26 vs 2.08 ± 1.17 nmol/ml) were not different in HT and NT.RBP4 (r = -0.25; p = 0.04) and resistin levels (r = -0.29; p = 0.03) were related to flow-mediated dilation in NT, but not in HT (r = -0.03 and r = -0.10, respectively). In NT, multivariate analysis including RBP4 and confounders showed that only BMI or waist circumference remained related to flow- mediated dilation. In the multivariate model including resistin and confounders, BMI, age and resistin were significantly related to flow-mediated dilation, while only age significant correlated with this parameter when BMI was replaced by waist circumference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adipocytokine levels may be independent predictors of endothelial dysfunction in the peripheral circulation of healthy subjects, providing a pathophysiological link between inflammation from adipose tissue and early vascular alterations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine University of Pisa, Via Roma 67, Pisa I-56100, Italy. anna.solini@med.unipi.it
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Solini
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stea
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: Rosa Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Duranti
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taddei
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ghiadoni
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines / Q000097:blood*; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D052243:Resistin / Q000097:blood; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma / Q000032:analysis; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; D015415:Biomarkers; C101326:RBP4 protein, human; C499624:RETN protein, human; D052243:Resistin; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005996:Nitroglycerin