High molecular weight adiponectin correlates positively with myeloperoxidase in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Adiponectin (APN) is present in human plasma as a low molecular weight (LMW), a middle molecular weight (MMW) and a high molecular weight form (HMW). As a support to determine properties such as anti-atherogenic or atherogenic effects, recent clinical studies suppose to deter-mine the ratio of each APN multimer to total APN but not the absolute plasma concentration of APN. In the present study, the correlation of APN and its multimers with myeloperoxidase (MPO), an enzyme with pro-inflammatory proper-ties, was examined in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. MPO and APN serum levels were assessed in 49 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at the beginning and at the end of an anti-diabetic treatment. After treatment a significant increase in the ratio of HMW to total APN (from 0.43 +/- 0.16 to 0.59 +/- 0.14, p < 0.05) was found. Before treatment, HMW-APN was correlated positively with MPO (r = 0.314, p < 0.05). Moreover, a positive correlation was observed between the increased HMW ratio and MPO during treatment (r = 0.304, p < 0.05). HMW-APN correlates positively with MPO in patients with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, HMW-APN may exert possible pro-inflammatory effects in type 2 diabetes. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.