The prediction role of indexes of circulating adipokines for common anthropometric and nutritional characteristics of obesity in the obese Central European population

• 8 adipokines were investigated with respect to anthropometry and nutrition.
• Leptin and leptin receptor levels correlate with energy and macronutrient intakes.
• A new prediction model for body fat percentage was developed.
• New indexes describing positive and negative adipokine correlations were defined.
• Indexes show better correlation with anthropometric parameters than single values.

AimsThis study was designed to investigate the relationship between 8 selected adipokines (leptin, leptin receptor, adiponectin, agouti-related peptide, omentin, visfatin, adipsin and resistin), dietary composition and anthropometric parameters found in the Central European obese population.MethodsA total of 65 unrelated obese Central European Caucasian individuals were recruited for the study. Phenotypic measurements included weight, height, BMI, lean body mass, fat mass, body fat, waist and hip circumference, waist–hip ratio (WHR) and skinfold thickness. Participants completed standardized self-reported 7-day food records. Plasma levels of leptin, leptin receptor, adiponectin, agouti-related peptide (AgRP), resistin, adipsin, omentin and visfatin were examined using ELISA.ResultsMultiple associations (weight, height, percentage of body fat, waist circumference, hip circumference, WHR and sum of skinfold thickness) with the circulation levels of the investigated adipokines were identified. Leptin-Leptin receptor (L-LR) levels were found to correlate with total energy intake and macronutrients while adipsin was found to strongly correlate with multiple adipokines. Furthermore, the L-LR index was found to constitute a more accurate description of the relationship between BMI and body weight than individual measurements and the Ag–LR index was found to strongly correlate with both anthropometric and dietary characteristics.ConclusionFollowing confirmation on larger population samples and on samples of different ethnicities, the reported adipokine indexes could become a useful tool for estimating nutritional status and predicting the body composition of specific patient groups.