Elevated serum chemerin concentrations are associated with renal dysfunction in type 2 diabetic patients

Aim: Chemerin, a new adipocytokine, has been suggested to be linked to obesity-induced insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The association of plasma chemerin levels with diabetic nephropathy, however, is unknown. Therefore, this study aims to determine whether plasma chemerin levels are associated with renal function in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods: A total of 116 type 2 diabetic patients and 38 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Serum levels of chemerin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Serum chemerin was significantly elevated in type 2 diabetic patients with macro-albuminuria compared with control subjects and diabetic patients with normoalbuminuria and microalbuminuria. No differences were found in the level of serum chemerin between diabetic patients with normoalbuminuria and microalbuminuria and control subjects. Serum chemerin was positively correlated with age, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), C-reactive protein (CRP), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine and serum triglycerides, and negatively correlated with creatinine clearance Stepwise regression analysis showed that creatinine clearance and serum creatinine remained significantly associated with serum chemerin. Conclusion: Serum chemerin levels are strongly associated with renal function in diabetic patients. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.