Adipokines and the metabolism of key nutrients in patients with obesity

AIM: To study the effect of adipokines on the metabolism of key nutrients in patients with obesity/MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ninety patients aged 18 to 66 years old who were treated at the Department of Preventive and Rehabilitative Nutrition, Research Institute of Nutrition, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, were examined. Carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms were assessed by turbidimetry and spectrophotometry. The levels of adipokines, insulin, and oxidized low-density lipoproteins (LDL) were measured by ELISA. Insulin resistance was assessed with HOMA-IR in all the patients/RESULTS: It was found that there were discoordinated changes in the content of adipokines. The patients with Grade 1 obesity, as compared to the control group, had a statistically significant decrease in the serum concentrations of adiponectin (5.94±0.90 and 15.34±0.45 µg/ml; p<0.05) and ghrelin (215.50±104.50 and 540.67±0.76 pg/ml; (p<0.05) and resistin levels above the normal values (7.34±1.24 and 5.12±0.22 ng/ml; р<0.05; respectively). There was an inverse correlation between the content of adiponectin and ghrelin, and body mass index in obese patients (r1=-0.25, r2=-0.15; p<0.05). There was evidence that there was also an inverse correlation between the levels of adiponectin, triglycerides, LDL, particularly oxidized LDL (p<0.05). Adipokine-induced insulin resistance appeared as increases in the concentrations of glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR, as compared to those in the control group/CONCLUSION: A comprehensive approach to evaluating metabolic disorders and adipokine synthesis in obese patients makes it possible to optimize the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases and to personalize diet therapy.

adipokines, obesity, glucose, insulin