Adipocyte volumes and levels of adipokines in diabetes and obesity

Aim: Obesity is a major risk factor for insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and many other chronic diseases. The factors regulating cytokine production seem to have a role on the determination of adipocyte volume. We aimed to investigate the association of plasma adiponectin and resistin concentrations with adipocyte volumes in obese, diabetic, obese-diabetic and control groups. Methods: Plasma adiponectin, resistin and lipid levels and adipocyte volumes were investigated in obese, non-diabetic, non-obese diabetic, obese diabetic and control groups consisting 100 subjects who planned to undergo elective surgery. Differences in clinical or laboratory parameters among groups were compared by using one-way ANOVA test. Chi-square test was used for comparing the frequencies. Results: The lipid values in all three groups were higher than the control group. A negative correlation was found between adiponectine levels and adipocyte volumes. When adipocyte volumes were compared with other groups, adipocyte volumes were significantly higher in the obese diabetic group (p = 0.000). The adipocyte volumes in the obese group were determined to be higher than the control group. Conclusions: Although a positive correlation was found between adipocyte volumes and adiponectin in literature, adiponectin concentrations in our study were lower. These conditions can be explained by the effect of insulin resistance on the adiponectin levels in obese diabetic groups. Moreover, adiponectin levels are mostly associated with subcutaneous adipose tissue which may have been less. Resistin levels may play an important role in the development of obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes. (C) 2008 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.