Serum Expression of ESM-1, HMWA, and AGEs and Its Relationship with Disease Severity in Patients with Gestational Hypertension

Objective. The research is to investigate the expression and the relationship between serum endothelial cell-specific molecular molecule-1 (ESM-1), high molecular weight adiponectin (HMWA), and late glycosylation terminal product (AGEs) in patients with gestational hypertension. Methods. 75 patients with pregnant hypertension who were treated in our hospital from June 2019 to June 2020 were selected as the case group, and 70 healthy pregnant women with pregnancy examination at the same period in our hospital were selected as the control group to analyze the changes in serum ESM-1, HMWA, and AGEs levels and the correlation with the degree of illness and their predictive value. Results. Serum ESM-1 and AGEs were significantly higher in the case group than in the control group. Serum HMWA was significantly lower than that in the control group ( P < 0.05 ). The gestational hypertensive serum ESM-1 and AGEs was significantly lower than in patients with mild preeclampsia and severe preeclampsia. Serum HMWA was significantly higher than in patients with mild preeclampsia and severe preeclampsia. Serum ESM-1 and AGEs of mild preeclampsia were significantly lower than in patients with severe preeclampsia. Serum HMWA was significantly higher than in patients with severe preeclampsia ( P < 0.05 ). The result of correlation analysis shows a positive correlation between serum ESM-1 and AGEs ( P < 0.05 ). A negative correlation was observed between HMWA and the degree of illness ( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion. Serum ESM-1, HMWA, and AGEs are abnormally expressed in gestational hypertension, are closely related to the degree of condition, and have important clinical significance for condition control.

Interaction of high-molecular-weight adiponectin concentration in blood serum with the risk of metabolic syndrome in women

Introduction. The development of metabolic syndrome (MS) in patients with abdominal obesity (AO) may be associated with a low level of the adiponectin (AN) - protective adipocytokine. AN circulates in the blood in various molecular forms.The high molecular weight AN is assumed to have greater metabolic activity. It is currently not clear what level of high molecular weight adiponectin (HMWA) in women with AO is associated with MS and its components.The objective was to study the role of high molecular weight adiponectin in the development of metabolic syndrome in women with abdominal obesity.Methods and materials. 302 women with AO and 161 women without AO were examined. MS was diagnosed in 62.3 % of patients.Results. The concentration of total adiponectin (TAN) and HMAN in the blood serum in women with MS was lower than in patients without MS (p<0.05). According to logistic regression analysis, the most significant factors influencing the risk of MS were low concentration of HMAN in the blood, age, and body mass index (p <0.05).Conclusions. It was found that women with AO and HMAN concentration of less than 1.96 μg/ml in the blood had an increased risk of metabolic syndrome.

Posterior Cervical Brown Fat and CXCL14 levels in the First Year of Life: Sex Differences and Association with Adiposity

Context Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is particularly abundant in neonates but its association with measures of adiposity and metabolic health in early infancy is poorly delineated. Besides sustaining non-shivering thermogenesis, BAT secretes brown adipokines that act on systemic metabolism. The chemokine CXCL14 has been identified as a brown adipokine in experimental studies. Objective To determine the relationships among BAT activity, adiposity and circulating CXCL14 levels in the first year of life in girls and boys. Design, setting and participants Indices of fat accretion, circulating endocrine-metabolic parameters and serum CXCL14 levels were assessed longitudinally in a cohort of infants at birth and at 4 and 12 months. BAT activity was estimated using infrared thermography only at age 12 months. Main outcome measures Weight and length Z-scores, total and abdominal fat content (by DXA), BAT activity at the posterior-cervical and supraclavicular regions, serum levels of glucose, insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I, high-molecular-weight adiponectin and CXCL14; CXCL14 transcript levels in neonatal BAT and liver. Results Posterior-cervical BAT was more active in girls than in boys (P=0.02). BAT activity was negatively associated with adiposity parameters only in girls. CXCL14 levels were higher in girls than in boys at age 12 months and correlated positively with the area of active posterior-cervical BAT in girls. Neonatal BAT showed high CXCL14 gene expression levels. Conclusions BAT activity and the levels of CXCL14 -a potential surrogate of BAT activity, are sex-specific in the first year of life. Posterior-cervical BAT activity associates negatively with indices of adiposity only in girls.

Sex Dimorphic Associations of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus With Cord Plasma Fatty Acid Binding Protein 4 and Estradiol

Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) has been associated with insulin resistance. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) impairs fetal insulin sensitivity. Female newborns are more insulin resistant than male newborns. We sought to evaluate the association between GDM and cord blood FABP4, and explore potential sex dimorphic associations and the roles of sex hormones. This was a nested case-control study in the Shanghai Birth Cohort, including 153 pairs of newborns in GDM vs. euglycemic pregnancies matched by infant sex and gestational age at delivery. Cord plasma FABP4, leptin, total and high-molecular-weight adiponectin, testosterone and estradiol concentrations were measured. Adjusting for maternal and neonatal characteristics, cord plasma FABP4 (Mean ± SD: 27.0 ± 19.6 vs. 18.8 ± 9.6 ng/mL, P=0.045) and estradiol (52.0 ± 28.6 vs. 44.2 ± 26.6, ng/mL, P=0.005) concentrations were higher comparing GDM vs. euglycemic pregnancies in males, but similar in females (all P&gt;0.5). Mediation analyses showed that the positive association between GDM and cord plasma FABP4 in males could be partly mediated by estradiol (P=0.03), but not by testosterone (P=0.72). Cord plasma FABP4 was positively correlated with total adiponectin in females (r=0.17, P=0.053), but the correlation was in the opposite direction in males (r=-0.11, P=0.16) (test for difference in r, P=0.02). Cord plasma FABP4 was not correlated with leptin in both sexes. The study is the first to demonstrate sex-dimorphic associations between GDM and cord plasma FABP4 or estradiol, and between FABP4 and adiponectin in newborns. GDM may affect fetal circulating FABP4 and estradiol levels in males only.

Insulin resistance and high molecular weight adiponectin in obese and non-obese patients with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Background Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy among young women. Insulin resistance is a key feature in the pathogenesis of PCOS; also high molecular weight adiponectin is a marker of insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the insulin resistance, metabolic and androgenic profiles and high molecular weight adiponectin in obese and non-obese PCOS patients. Methods In this cross-sectional study in outpatient endocrinology clinics of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, 80 women aged 17–43 years old with PCOS were enrolled. Biochemical and hormonal assay was done on fasting blood sample on the third day of follicular phase. Results The individuals had a mean age of 28.39 ± 6.56 years, mean weight of 65.41 ± 12.59 Kg, mean BMI of 25.5 ± 4.9, and mean waist circumference of 88.0 ± 13.1 cm. Of all individuals 20% had frank insulin resistance with HOMA-IR > 3.8. Although the obese PCOS patients had lower levels of high molecular weight adiponectin (P = 0.03) than the normal weight PCOS individuals, the level of insulin and insulin resistance was not different in them (P = 0.13, 0.13). Patients with classic PCOS phenotype significantly had higher levels of insulin resistance and free androgen index (P < 0.001, 0.001). We found a significant correlation between the insulin level and free androgen index (correlation coefficient: 0.266 and P = 0.018) after adjusting for BMI. Conclusion This cross-sectional study showed a high incidence of insulin resistance in PCOS patients independent of obesity, and determined BMI related lower level of high molecular weight adiponectin in obese PCOS individuals. More detailed studies are warranted for evaluation of insulin resistance and its pathophysiologic role in PCOS.

Assessment of Alteration of Serum Adiponectin Levels in Migraineurs: An Interventional Case Control Study

Background and Objectives: Migraine is one of the major headache disorders. Epidemiological studies have shown its high prevalence and negative impact on personal and socioeconomic aspects. It is currently ranked 19th by the “World Health Organization” amongst all diseases, leading to disability worldwide. Inflammatory mediators, which include adipokines, have been analyzed in migraine pathophysiology. Nevertheless, their role is not well recognized. This study is aimed to assess serum high molecular weight adiponectin (HMW-ADP) levels in migraineurs: during the ictal phase, prior to, and postabortive treatment. Methods: This was a hospital-based interventional case-controlled study, checking the peripheral blood samples from migraineurs during an acute attack and after one hour of treatment with naproxen sodium (10–15 mg/kg). Age, sex, and BMI matched controls without headache were taken, and a single blood sample was drawn in them. HMW-ADP levels were evaluated by immunoassays. Results: A total of 120 patients which included 60 migraine patients along with 60 controls without headache were involved in the study. HMW-ADP was higher in migraine patients (9.89 ± 5.04 mcg/mL) than in patients without headache history (4.63 ± 2.98 mcg/mL; P = < .001); along with this, serum HMW-ADP (6.4 ± 4.09 mcg/mL; P = <.001) was found to be significantly lower in responders 60 min after acute abortive treatment. Conclusion: HMW-ADP levels were raised in migraineurs. Additionally, among responders following abortive treatment a considerable reduction in the levels was noted. These results recommend that the HMW-ADP might be a possible “novel biomarker of acute remedy response in acute migraineurs”.

The Effects of Brown Algae-Derived Monosaccharide L-Fucose on Lipid Metabolism in C57BL/6J Obese Mice

Obesity is a global public health problem and a risk factor for several metabolic disorders as well as cancer. In this study, we investigated the effects of L-fucose on lipid metabolism through chronic and acute in vivo experiments in mice. In the chronic test, mice were fed a high-calorie diet (HCD) containing 0.0001%, 0.001%, 0.01%, and 0.1% L-fucose for one month. The L-fucose supplementation inhibited body weight and visceral fat mass gain in HCD-fed mice. The results of the acute test showed that L-fucose increased the ratio of serum high molecular weight adiponectin and enhanced glucose and lipid catabolism. Furthermore, L-fucose also decreased the expression of adipogenic genes (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ and cluster of differentiation 36). In conclusion, this study provides a new approach to combat obesity and the related diseases.