Association between serum adipocytokine levels and microangiopathies in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVE
It is thought that adipocytokines contribute to the increased risk of vascular complications in type 2 diabetes. However, there is still limited information on the relationship between microangiopathies and adipocytokines, such as adiponectin, leptin and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in patients with type 2 diabetes.


METHODS
The present study examined the relationship between fasting serum adiponectin, leptin, and TNF-α levels and microangiopathies in Korean type 2 diabetes. A total of 153 patients were recruited and evaluated for diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy. Serum adiponectin, TNF-α and leptin levels were measured.


RESULTS
Serum adiponectin levels were significantly lower in patients with nephropathy than in those without nephropathy (P = 0.017), and were significantly higher in patients with retinopathy or neuropathy than those without retinopathy or neuropathy (P = 0.01 and P = 0.002, respectively). The mean levels of leptin were significantly higher in patients with neuropathy than in those without neuropathy (P = 0.002). The mean levels of TNF-α were not significantly different according to any of the three microangiopathies. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio for the presence of neuropathy in the highest tertile of adiponectin was 4.3 (95% confidence interval 1.59-11.62), as compared with the patients in the lowest tertile of adiponectin level.


CONCLUSIONS
Levels of adipocytokines were significantly different according to the presence of each microangiopathy. In particular, higher serum adiponectin was independently associated with increased odds for the presence of neuropathy. Future prospective studies with larger numbers of patients are required to establish a direct relationship between plasma adipocytokine concentrations and the development or severity of diabetic microangiopathies.
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Department of Internal Medicine Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine Bucheon Korea.
Chan-Hee
CH
Jung
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Department of Internal Medicine Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine Bucheon Korea.
Bo-Yeon
BY
Kim
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Department of Internal Medicine Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine Bucheon Korea.
Ji-Oh
JO
Mok
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Department of Internal Medicine Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine Bucheon Korea.
Sung-Koo
SK
Kang
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism Department of Internal Medicine Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine Bucheon Korea.
Chul-Hee
CH
Kim
Adipocytokines; Diabetic microangiopathies