title: Serum vaspin levels are positively associated with carotid atherosclerosis in a general population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vaspin is a novel adipocytokine with potential insulin-sensitizing properties. Insulin resistance (IR) plays a role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. However, the relationship between serum vaspin levels and atherosclerosis remains unknown. Therefore, we investigated whether vaspin was correlated with carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data for fasting vaspin levels of 201 subjects (78 men and 123 women aged over 40 years) were obtained from a general population in Japan. We obtained anthropometric parameters and blood chemistries, and calculated homeostasis model assessment-IR (HOMA-IR) index. C-IMT was measured by B-mode ultrasonography. The mean values of each parameter by tertiles of vaspin were compared with analysis of variance, and the associations of vaspin with IR and c-IMT were evaluated by multiple stepwise regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Univariate analysis revealed that vaspin levels were positively correlated with BMI, insulin, HOMA-IR index, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), c-IMT and hypertensive medication. Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that HOMA-IR index, c-IMT and eGFR were significantly and independently associated with vaspin. We performed multivariate analyses with c-IMT as the dependent variable. Age, hypertensive medication and vaspin were significant for c-IMT. Moreover, a mediation analysis demonstrated that vaspin was significantly related to c-IMT, independently of IR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study not only confirmed the previous finding of the positive association of vaspin with IR but also demonstrated that serum vaspin level was positively associated with c-IMT, independently of IR in a general population. Our results may suggest a role of vaspin in atherosclerosis in humans.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
authors: Eishi
authors: E
authors: Esaki
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan; Department of Community Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan. Electronic address: hadac@med.kurume-u.ac.jp.
authors: Hisashi
authors: H
authors: Adachi
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
authors: Yuji
authors: Y
authors: Hirai
authors: Department of Pathophysiology and Therapeutics of Diabetic Vascular Complications, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
authors: Sho-ichi
authors: S
authors: Yamagishi
authors: Biostatistics Center, School of Medicine, Kurume University, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
authors: Tatsuyuki
authors: T
authors: Kakuma
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
authors: Mika
authors: M
authors: Enomoto
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
authors: Ako
authors: A
authors: Fukami
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
authors: Eita
authors: E
authors: Kumagai
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
authors: Kyoko
authors: K
authors: Ohbu
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
authors: Aya
authors: A
authors: Obuchi
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
authors: Ayako
authors: A
authors: Yoshimura
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
authors: Sachiko
authors: S
authors: Nakamura
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
authors: Yume
authors: Y
authors: Nohara
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
authors: Tomoki
authors: T
authors: Fujiyama
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardio-Vascular Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume 830-0011, Japan.
authors: Yoshihiro
authors: Y
authors: Fukumoto
authors: Fukuoka Sanno Hospital and International University of Health and Welfare, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Tsutomu
authors: T
authors: Imaizumi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D015843:Serpins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C507339:SERPINA12 protein, human; D015843:Serpins
keywords: Carotid atherosclerosis; Epidemiology; Insulin resistance; Vaspin