Serum adipokines are associated with cholesterol metabolism in the metabolic syndrome

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether cholesterol metabolism is associated with serum adipokines and inflammatory markers.MethodsIn fifty-eight subjects with impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance and features of the metabolic syndrome cholesterol metabolism was assayed with serum non-cholesterol sterol ratios to cholesterol, surrogate markers of synthesis (cholesterol precursors) and dietary absorption % of cholesterol (cholestanol and plant sterols) and related them to serum adiponectin, leptin, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α).ResultsAdiponectin was negatively related to synthesis markers (e.g. desmosterol r = − 0.371, P < 0.01), and positively to absorption markers (e.g. cholestanol r = 0.269, P < 0.05). Leptin was associated with synthesis markers (e.g. desmosterol r = 0.271, P < 0.05) and negatively with absorption markers (e.g. sitosterol r = − 0.278, P < 0.05). Hs-CRP was negatively associated with absorption markers (e.g. sitosterol r = − 0.407, P < 0.001). IL-6 and TNF-α were not related to cholesterol metabolism. When dividing the subjects into tertiles by the serum desmosterol/cholestanol ratio, the I tertile (high synthesis/low absorption) was associated with low adiponectin concentrations, high BMI and serum leptin concentrations (P < 0.05 for all).ConclusionsAdiponectin, leptin and hs-CRP were associated with variables of cholesterol metabolism. A high ratio of cholesterol synthesis to absorption is characterized by high serum leptin and low adiponectin concentrations.