Resistin: A pathogenic factor or a biomarker of metabolic disorders and inflammation?

Cardiovascular diseases are currently the most frequent cause of death in Poland and their incidence continually rises. This is related to the high incidence of obesity associated with insulin resistance, which is present in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Adipose tissue produces multiple cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6, PAI-1, CRP, angiotensinogen, leptin, adiponectin, visfatin, apelin, resistin) which decrease insulin sensitivity and induce inflammatory processes, endothelial dysfunction, and atherosclerosis. This article presents the link between obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus according to studies conducted in vitro and in animal models. In human studies, the influence of resistin on the development of insulin resistance is controversial. The article underlines the role of resisitin in the development of inflammatory processes and endothelial dysfunction in humans. In clinical studies, resistin was shown to be a predictive factor of coronary artery disease and mortality connected with cardiovascular diseases.