High-molecular-weight Adiponectin and Ningen Dock : Useful Biomarker of Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders

抄録

Adiponectin was discovered to be the most abundant transcript in human adipose tissue in 1996. Animal studies have revealed that administering adiponectin improves insulin resistance and blood glucose levels, and inhibits atherosclerosis. In this review, I re-assess the significance of measuring serum high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin levels in health check-ups, ‘Ningen Dock’.

Cross-sectional studies using ELISA have revealed that the serum HMW-adiponectin concentration in healthy Japanese females was 1.9 times that of males and that there was a strong positive correlation between it and HDL-C but there were negative correlations with BMI and the homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-R). These studies also indicated that the serum HMW-adiponectin concentration was more strongly associated with HOMA-R and numbers of subjects with MetS than the total adiponectin concentration. Some subjects may inherit a lower serum adiponectin concentration and may have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

Our longitudinal study, a 6-year follow-up study of Japanese men, revealed that decreased HMW-adiponectin is a predictor of progression to MetS. In another study, on16 Japanese male subjects with MetS, lifestyle modification for 3 months induced a decrease in BMI and waist circumference and an increase in serum HMW-adiponectin but not total adiponectin.

A chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) developed for HMW-adiponectin is reportedly faster and more accurate than other assays. Also, serum levels are closely correlated with parameters related to MetS and CVDs and findings have suggested that HMW-adiponectin is a useful biomarker of MetS and related disorders in ‘Ningen Dock’.