Serum resistin levels in patients with morbid obesity

Aim

To evaluate the level of serum resistin in patients with various degrees of obesity and to identify its possible relationships with metabolic parameters and manifestations of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Material and methods

The study included 69 obese patients who planned bariatric surgery in Moscow weight surgery centers. We used body mass index (BMI) to determine the degree of obesity. Glucose, insulin (with an assessment of the level of insulin resistance), blood lipids and creatinine were measured prior to surgery. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated using the CKD-EPI formula. We studied the level of resistin by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the serum of patients prior to surgery and 11 healthy volunteers.

Results

The resistin level directly correlated with BMI in a subgroup of patients with BMI of more than 50 kg/m 2 (r s = 0.629, p = 0.002). There was no association between resistin level and insulin resistance parameters in patients with impaired carbohydrate metabolism. A negative correlation with GFR (r s = -0.435, p = 0.043) was found in patients with BMI of more than 50 kg/m 2 .

Conclusion

A decrease in GFR in patients with BMI of more than 50 kg/m 2 was associated with an increase in serum resistin level. However, the latter did not directly correlate with insulin resistance, which may reflect more complex role of resistin in the development of renal dysfunction in obesity. These mechanisms require further studies.

Key words

Obesity, resistin, insulin resistance, chronic kidney disease.