Chemerin is associated with markers of inflammation and predictors of atherosclerosis in Saudi subjects with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus

Chemerin is a novel adipokine, suggested to be involved in insulin resistance in obesity and type 2 diabetes and may be an attractive candidate for assessing risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The aim is to examine the relationship of chemerin and markers of inflammation, and predictors of atherosclerosis in the metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Saudi Arabians. Twenty healthy control subjects (group I), 20 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (group II), in addition to 20 subjects with metabolic syndrome (group III) are examined by anthropometric and blood pressure measurement, laboratory investigations including fasting and post-prandial blood sugar, fasting serum insulin, lipid profile and serum chemerin and leptin levels. Moreover, tumor necrosis factor – α (TNF – α), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels, and interleukin 6 (IL6) are measured. Vascular health was assessed by the brachial – ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance Index (HOMA-IR) and the cardio-vascular risk value were calculated. Our present study revealed a significant a positive correlation between serum chemerin level and fasting and post-prandial blood sugar, IL6 and TNF-α (p < 0.05, respectively) in group II and III. Moreover, IMT and baPWV are positively associated with chemerin in both groups (p < 0.01, respectively) but not with leptin. In group III, it was revealed that, chemerin, systolic blood pressure and waist circumference are risk factors determining baPWV values and the three variables together account for 76.9% of the variance in baPWV values (F = 17.713, p = <.001). Chemerin is associated with markers of inflammation and predictors of atherosclerosis in the metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes and it is an independent factor determining arterial stiffness in Saudi Arabians.