Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Chemerin is a novel adipokine that is correlated with adipocyte differentiation, glucose metabolism and inflammation, but its role remains to be elucidated in atherosclerosis particularly in diabetes and prediabetes. We aimed to investigate the relation of serum chemerin levels with markers of atherosclerosis as exemplified by pulse wave velocity (PWV), carotid intima media thickness (CIMT), and carotid plaque presence in these groups.

Methods and materials: We included age, BMI, and gender matched 30 patients with type 2 DM, 19 patients with prediabetes, and 25 healthy individuals with normal glucose tolerance. Serum chemerin levels, lipid parameters, fasting glucose and insulin levels, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were assessed. PWV, CIMT, anthropometric measures, body fat percent, and epicardial fat thickness were recorded.

Results: Serum chemerin levels were similar among groups (226.5±36.8 ng/ml in controls, 242.5±42.8 in prediabetes, 233.0±40.4 in diabetes, P=0.338), though glucose metabolism parameters including HOMA-IR were higher in patients with type 2 DM. PWV was higher in diabetes than in prediabetes and controls (P=0.039). Chemerin levels were positively correlated with BMI (P<0.001, r=0.425), total cholesterol (P=0.042, r=0.239), triglyceride (P=0.038, r=0.246), body fat percent (P=0.007, r=0.313) and left CIMT (P=0.032, r=0.249) in whole group. BMI and body fat percent were also correlated with chemerin in diabetic group whereas body fat percent and left CIMT remained to be correlated with chemerin in prediabetic group. Eleven patients in the diabetic group, two patients in the prediabetic group and three individuals in the control group had carotid plaque. Chemerin levels were comparable in patients with diabetes when grouped according to the presence of carotis plaque.

Conclusion: Although chemerin is not correlated with atherosclerosis markers as measured by PWV and carotid plaque in diabetes and prediabetes, positive correlation with body fat percent in total group and positive correlation of CIMT and chemerin in prediabetes still arise an unanswered question about its role in atherosclerosis requiring further investigations.