Adiponectin in type 2 diabetes: relation to insulin sensitivity

ABSTRACT

Adiponectin, which is a novel-specific protein with putative antiatherogenic and anti-inflammatory effect, was found to be decreased in individuals with obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, conditions commonly associated with insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. Insulin resistance appears to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases including hypertension, cardiovascular disease and hyperlipidemia. Alteration in adiponectin level is suggested to be a primary metabolic abnormality leading to insulin resistance. The main aim of this work was to evaluate the plasma level of adiponectin and its relation to insulin resistance. We studied 20 type 2 diabetic patients and 20 healthy controls. All patients and controls were subjected to history taking, clinical examination and laboratory studies including oral glucose tolerance curve with estimation of serum glucose and insulin, plasma adiponectin, lipid profile, serum uric acid and microalbuminuria. insulin sensitivity index [SI] was calculated. We found that plasma adiponectin, total serum cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, uric acid and microalbumiuria were significantly higher in the diabetic group than in the healthy control subjects [P < 0.05]. Plasma adiponectin was significantly lower in diabetic patients than in normal subjects. it was positively correlated with the degree of insulin sensitivity and negatively correlated with body mass index, total cholesterol, triglycerides and uric acid. We concluded that adiponectin may play a role in insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes