Comparison of Plasma Adiponectin Levels between Normal Weight and Overweight Type 2 Diabetic Individuals – A Case Control Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives ABSTRACT Adiponectin is the most abundant and the most lately discovered adipocytokine. It has been labeled as the molecule of this decade due to its protective role in disease like diabetes and coronary artery disease. The objectives of the study were to determine correlation between the plasma adiponectin level in normal weight and overweight type-2 diabetic individuals and to correlate the relation between plasma adiponectin and other anthropometric measurements of obesity. Methods The present case control study was conducted during the period of Jan 2007 to May 2008 on 90 age matched male subjects attending KLES Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Belgaum. The subjects were stratified into four groups based on BMI. Only well controlled ( HbA1c < 7.5% ) diabetics with normal ECG and not on Thiazolidinedione were included. All were studied with respect to anthropometry and Plasma adiponectin ( Measured by ELISA, both globular and full-length) . Results It was found that Mean adiponectin is higher in non-diabetics compared to diabetics. Among the four groups adiponectin levels were lower in the two overweight groups versus non-overweight groups ( p < 0.001) . There was a statistically significant ( p < 0.001) inverse relation between the range of BMI values and Plasma Adiponectin amongst diabetics. Based on WHR, adiponectin IX levels were significantly lower ( p < 0.001 ) in the centrally obese subjects compared to normal-WHR subjects, whether diabetic or not. The correlation coefficient of reduced adiponectin is higher with WHR ( +0.9209 and +0.9690 for diabetics and non-diabetics respectively ) than with BMI ( +0.7494 and +0.6924 for diabetics and non-diabetics respectively ) . Conclusion and interpretation Both diabetes and obesity have an inverse correlation with Adiponectin. Plasma adiponectin levels correlates better with WHR than BMI and probably predicts insulin resistance and development of atherosclerosis