title: Gender-related alterations in plasma adrenomedullin level and its correlation with body weight gain.
abstract: Plasma levels of adrenomedullin (AM), a bioactive peptide produced in adipose tissue, have been shown to be higher in obese patients than in non-obese patients, but little is known about gender differences in plasma AM levels. The aims of this study were to clarify gender-related alterations in plasma AM levels and to examine the body weight (BW) gain-plasma AM relationship in the general population. We measured plasma AM levels of 346 local residents (62.0±8.9 years, mean±s.d.) in the Kiyotake area, Japan, who underwent a regular health check-up, by a specific fluorescence immunoassay. Plasma AM levels in the female residents were lower than that in the males, and multiple regression analysis revealed a possible gender difference in plasma AM. The AM levels were significantly correlated with BMI or waist circumference in women, but such a relationship was not seen in men. When the subjects were divided into two groups by results of a questionnaire about BW gain of 10 kg or more since the age of 20 years, the plasma AM level of women with BW gain ≧10 kg was significantly higher than that in those without BW gain, although no difference was noted between the men with and without BW gain. In conclusion, possible gender differences were noted in the plasma AM levels and in the BW gain-plasma AM relationship in the general population. The plasma AM levels in the female residents without BW gain seem partly attributable to the lower AM of women.
authors.affiliation: Frontier Science Research CenterCirculatory and Body Fluid RegulationDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake, Miyazaki 889-1692, JapanAIA Research GroupBioscience Division, Reagent Development Department, TOSOH Corporation, Kanagawa 252-1123, Japan Frontier Science Research CenterCirculatory and Body Fluid RegulationDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake, Miyazaki 889-1692, JapanAIA Research GroupBioscience Division, Reagent Development Department, TOSOH Corporation, Kanagawa 252-1123, Japan.
authors.forename: Sayaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.affiliation: Frontier Science Research CenterCirculatory and Body Fluid RegulationDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake, Miyazaki 889-1692, JapanAIA Research GroupBioscience Division, Reagent Development Department, TOSOH Corporation, Kanagawa 252-1123, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawagoe
authors.affiliation: Frontier Science Research CenterCirculatory and Body Fluid RegulationDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake, Miyazaki 889-1692, JapanAIA Research GroupBioscience Division, Reagent Development Department, TOSOH Corporation, Kanagawa 252-1123, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuwasako
authors.affiliation: Frontier Science Research CenterCirculatory and Body Fluid RegulationDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake, Miyazaki 889-1692, JapanAIA Research GroupBioscience Division, Reagent Development Department, TOSOH Corporation, Kanagawa 252-1123, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimamoto
authors.affiliation: Frontier Science Research CenterCirculatory and Body Fluid RegulationDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake, Miyazaki 889-1692, JapanAIA Research GroupBioscience Division, Reagent Development Department, TOSOH Corporation, Kanagawa 252-1123, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.affiliation: Frontier Science Research CenterCirculatory and Body Fluid RegulationDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake, Miyazaki 889-1692, JapanAIA Research GroupBioscience Division, Reagent Development Department, TOSOH Corporation, Kanagawa 252-1123, Japan.
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokashiki
authors.affiliation: Frontier Science Research CenterCirculatory and Body Fluid RegulationDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake, Miyazaki 889-1692, JapanAIA Research GroupBioscience Division, Reagent Development Department, TOSOH Corporation, Kanagawa 252-1123, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.affiliation: Frontier Science Research CenterCirculatory and Body Fluid RegulationDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake, Miyazaki 889-1692, JapanAIA Research GroupBioscience Division, Reagent Development Department, TOSOH Corporation, Kanagawa 252-1123, Japan jkjpn@med.miyazaki-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Johji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kato
keywords: adrenomedullin; body weight gain; gender difference; plasma level