Serum resistin is associated with C-reactive protein in type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease in a Saudi population

Aims: Resistin is an adipocyte-derived factor implicated in obesity associated type 2 diabetes. This study examined the association between human serum resistin, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Methods: Ninety-nine Saudi Arabian patients (male/female (36/63) Age 51.4 (11.7)/45.59(11.7) years [mean (SD)] and BMI 27.1(8.1)/30.3 Kgm(2) (6.3) were studied. Serum resistin and CRP levels were measured in all subjects. (35 patients had type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); 14 patients had coronary heart disease (CHD). Results: Serum resistin levels were higher by 1.2 fold in type 2 diabetes and 1.3 fold in CHD than controls (p value = 0.01). In addition C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, was significantly increased in both T2DM and CHD patients (p-value = 0.007 and 0.002 respectively). The use of regression analysis, also determined that serum resistin correlated with CRP levels (p value 0.04 R(2)0.045). Conclusions: The findings from this study further implicate resistin as circulating protein associated with Type 2 diabetes and CHD. In addition this study also demonstrate an association between resistin and CRP, a marker of inflammation in type 2 diabetic patients.