Cross-Sectional Associations of Resistin, Coronary Heart Disease, and Insulin Resistance

• Published in: The journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism Vol. 91; no. 1; pp. 64 - 68
• Main Authors: Burnett, Mary Susan, Devaney, Joseph M., Adenika, Remi J., Lindsay, Robert, Howard, Barbara V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Oxford University Press 01.01.2006; Endocrine Society
• Subjects: Aged; Albumin; Apolipoprotein E; Arteriosclerosis; Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Case-Control Studies; Cerebral infarction; Coronary artery disease; Coronary Disease - blood; Coronary Disease - diagnosis; Coronary Disease - epidemiology; Creatinine; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes Complications - epidemiology; Diabetes mellitus; Disease resistance; Endocrinopathies; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Fibrinogen; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heart attacks; Heart diseases; Homeostasis; Humans; Hypertension - complications; Indians, North American - statistics & numerical data; Insulin - blood; Insulin Resistance; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multivariate analysis; Myocardial infarction; Myocardial Infarction - epidemiology; Nephropathy; Resistin - blood; United States - epidemiology; Vertebrates: endocrinology; United States; Adipocytokine; Target tissue resistance; Pancreatic hormone; Cardiovascular disease; Insulin resistance; Coronary heart disease; Insulin; Endocrinology; Resistin
• ISSN: 0021-972X; 1945-7197
• DOI: 10.1210/jc.2005-1653

Context: Recently, resistin was found to be present in atherosclerotic lesions in apoE−/− mice. Resistin may be associated with inflammation and atherosclerosis in humans; however, the role of resistin in human disease remains controversial. Objective: This study assesses cross-sectional relationships of resistin with coronary heart disease (CHD). Design, Setting, and Participants: Blood samples from the third examination of the Strong Heart Study (SHS)—the largest study of CHD in American Indians—were used. Cases who had suffered previous myocardial infarction (n = 100) were selected randomly from the three SHS sites and matched for study site and sex with controls who had no history of cardiovascular disease (CHD or stroke) (n = 100). Main Outcome Measure: Resistin levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method in cases and controls was the main outcome measure. Results: Resistin levels were higher in cases than controls [median (interquartile range): 3.4 (2.5–4.7) vs. 2.8 (2.1–4.0) ng/ml; P = 0.003] and had univariate correlations with age (Spearman r = 0.21; P < 0.002), fasting insulin (r = 0.21; P = 0.003), insulin resistance by homeostasis model (r = 0.22; P = 0.04), albumin to creatinine ratio (r = 0.19; P = 0.01), and fibrinogen (r = 0.34; P < 0.0001). Cases were more likely to have diabetes (cases 67%; controls 41%; P < 0.0001) but had similar body mass index (cases 31.4 ± 5.4; controls 30.7 ± 6.3; P = 0.85). Resistin levels were higher in participants with established nephropathy (albumin to creatinine ratio >300 mg/g, n = 26) compared with those with normo- (n = 122) or microalbuminuria (n = 42). In multivariate analysis, nephropathy (P = 0.0013) but not previous myocardial infarction (P = 0.12) was significantly associated with resistin. Conclusions: Resistin is not independently associated with CHD. Resistin is elevated in survivors of myocardial infarction; however, this reflects a novel association of raised resistin with diabetic nephropathy.