Endocrine Abstracts

Aims/Introduction: It is thought that adipocytokines contribute to the increased riskof vascular complications in type 2 diabetes (T2DM). However, some data indicate that adipocytokines may protect against cardiovascular disease. The net effects of adipocytokines on vascular pathology are complex and not completely understood. Although previous our cross-sectional studies showed that adipocytokines such as adiponectin, leptin, and TNF-alfa were associated with vascular complications in patients with T2DM, there is still limited information on the relationship between future development of microangiopathies and adipocytokines in T2DM. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between baseline serum levels of adiponectin, leptin, and TNF-alfa and future presence of vascular complications in Korean T2DM.

Methods: Ninety nine patients among 140 patients who were measured baseline serum adiponectin, leptin, and TNF-a levels were recruited. They were evaluated for diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, and carotid atherosclerosis during follow up.

Results: The mean age and duration of diabetes, and duration of follow up were 53 years, 6.7 years, and 7.8 years, respectively. Baseline mean serum leptin levels were significantly lower in patients with carotid atherosclerosis than in those without it during follow up (P = 0.017). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio for the presence of carotid atherosclerosis in the lowest tertile of leptin was 4.6 (95% confidence interval 1.3–15.7), as compared with the patients in the highest tertile of leptin level. Baseline mean levels of adiponectin and TNF-alfa were not significantly associated with any of the three microangiopathies and carotid atherosclerosis during follow up. Baseline serum leptin levels were not associated with any of the three microangiopathies.

Conclusions: These results suggest that decreased serum leptin levels in T2DM may be associated with future development of carotid atherosclerosis. 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 vascular complications.