Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to determine levels of adipokines and their relationship with stiffness parameters and disease activity index in SLE patients in comparison with healthy controls. Sixty SLE patients and 29 control subjects were enrolled in the study. Serum leptin and adiponectin levels were determined by commercial sandwich ELISA kits. Colour-coded carotid duplex sonography was performed using a Siemens SONOLINE Antares machine equipped with linear 5–13 MHz. SLEDAI, ECLAM and SLICC were evaluated in all patients. Data were analysed by software for statistical analysis (Prism 5.0). Median leptin is higher among SLE patients compared with controls (p 0.035). Median values of vascular stiffness and PSEM are increased in SLE compared with controls (p = 0.0003 and p = 0.007). Vascular strain and vascular distensibility are lower in SLE patients in comparison with controls (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0006, respectively). Considering SLE patients, leptin levels correlate with vascular stiffness (r = 0.64, p < 0.0001) and PSEM (r = 0.63, p < 0.0001). Adiponectin levels correlate with vascular strain (r = 0.28, p 0.039) and negatively correlate with vascular stiffness (r = −0.38, p 0.039). Leptin levels correlate with disease activity (SLEDAI and ECLAM) and cumulative damage (SLICC) indexes. This study demonstrates higher values of leptin in SLE patients. Moreover, SLE patients show increased levels of vascular stiffness and PSEM and reduced values of vascular strain and distensibility. These results globally indicate a decline in arterial elasticity. We find a positive correlation of leptin with stiffness parameters. According to its atheroprotective action, adiponectin inversely correlates with stiffness parameters.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abu-Shakra M, Codish S, Zeller L, Wolak T, Sukenik S (2008) Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in systemic lupus erythematosus: the Beer Sheva experience. Isr Med Assoc J 10:43–44
Cacciapaglia F, Zardi EM, Coppolino G, Buzzulini F, Margiotta D, Arcarese L et al (2009) Stiffness parameters, intima-media thickness and early atherosclerosis in systemic lupus erythematosus patients. Lupus 18:249–256
Roman MJ, Shanker BA, Davis A et al (2003) Prevalence and correlates of accelerated atherosclerosis in systemic lupus erythematosus. N Eng J Med 349:2399–2406
El Magadmi M, Bodill H, Ahmad Y et al (2004) Systemic lupus erythematosus: an independent risk factor for endothelial dysfunction in women. Circulation 110:399–404
McMahon M, Grossman J, Skaggs B, Fitzgerald J, Sahakian L, Ragavendra N et al (2009) Dysfunctional proinflammatory high-density lipoproteins confer increased risk of atherosclerosis in women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 30:2428–2437
Ahmad Y, Shelmerdine J, Bodill H, Lunt M, Pattrick MG, Teh LS et al (2007) Subclinical atherosclerosis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): the relative contribution of classic risk factors and the lupus phenotype. Rheumatology (Oxford) 46:983–988
Doria A, Shoenfeld Y, Wu R (2003) Risk factors for subclinical atherosclerosis in a prospective cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Ann Rheum Dis 62:1071–1077
Pereira RM, de Carvalho JF, Bonfá E (2009) Metabolic syndrome in rheumatological diseases. Autoimmun Rev 8:415–419
Vadacca M, Margiotta D, Rigon A, Cacciapaglia F, Coppolino G, Amoroso A et al (2009) Adipokines and systemic lupus erythematosus: relationship with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease risk factors. J Rheumatol 36:295–297
Chung CP, Avalos I, Oeser A, Gebretsadik T, Shintani A, Raggi P et al (2007) High prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: association with disease characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors. Ann Rheum Dis 66:208–214
Ohman MK, Wright AP, Wickenheiser KJ, Luo W, Eitzman DT (2009) Visceral adipose tissue and atherosclerosis. Curr Vasc Pharmacol 7:169–179
Calabrò P, Golia E, Maddaloni V, Malvezzi M, Casillo B, Marotta C et al (2009) Adipose tissue mediated inflammation: the missing link between obesity and cardiovascular disease? Intern Emerg Med 4:25–34
Antuna-Puente B, Feve B, Fellahi S, Bastard JP (2008) Adipokines: the missing link between insulin resistance and obesity. Diabetes Metab 34:2–11
Lambert M, O’Loughlin J, Delvin EE, Levy E, Chiolero A, Paradis G (2009) Association between insulin, leptin, adiponectin and blood pressure in youth. J Hypertens 27:1025–1032
Bo S, Gambino R, Gentile L, Pagano G, Rosato R, Saracco GM et al (2009) High-normal blood pressure is associated with a cluster of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors: a population-based study. J Hypertens 27:102–108
Tilg H, Moshen AR (2006) Adipocytochinines: mediators linking adipose tissue, inflammation and immunity. Nature 6:772–783
Lau DCW, Dhillon B, Yan H, Szmitko PE, Verma S (2005) Adipokines: molecular links between obesity and atherosclerosis. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 288:2031–2041
Lam QL, Lu L (2007) Role of leptin in Immunity. Cellular & Molecular Immunology 4:1–13
Bełtowski J (2006) Role of leptin in blood pressure regulation and arterial hypertension. J Hypertens 24:789–801
Beltowsku J (2006) Leptin and atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis 189:47–60
Wallace AM, McMahon AD, Packard CJ, Kelly A, Shepherd J, Gaw A, Sattar N (2001) Plasmaleptin and the risk of cardiovascular disease in the west of Scotland coronary prevention study (WOSCOPS). Circulation 104:3052–3056
Kadowaki T, Yamauchi T, Kubota N, Hara K, Ueki K, Tobe K (2006) Adiponectin and adiponectin receptors in insulin resistance, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. J Clin Invest 116:1784–1792
Han SH (2007) Adiponectin and cardiovascular disease. J Am Coll Cardiol 49:531–538
Tziomalos K, Tziomalos K, Sivanadarajah N, Mikhailidis DP, Boumpas DT, Seifalian AM (2008) Increased risk of vascular events in systemic lupus erythematosus: is arterial stiffness a predictor of vascular risk? Clin Exp Rheumatol 26:1134–1145
Mattace-Raso FU, van der Cammen TJ, Hofman A, van Popele NM, Bos ML, Schalekamp MA et al (2006) Arterial stiffness and risk of coronary heart disease and stroke: the Rotterdam Study. Circulation 113:657–663
Parati G, Bernardi L (2006) How to assess arterial compliance in humans. J Hypertens 24:1009–1012
Hochberg MC (1997) Updating the American College of Rheumatology revised criteria for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 40:1725
Mancia G, De Backer G, Dominiczak A, Cifkova R, Fagard R, Germano G et al (2007) Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension: the task force for the managementof arterial hypertension of the European society of hypertension (ESH) and of the European society of cardiology (ESC). J Hypertens 25:1105–1187
Griffiths B, Mosca M, Gordon C (2005) Assessment of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and the use of lupus disease activity indices. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 19:685–708
Brandt JT, Triplett DA, Alving B, Scharrer I (1995) Criteria for the diagnosis of lupusanticoagulants: an update On behalf of the Subcommittee on Lupus Anticoagulant/Antiphospholipid Antibody of the Scientific and Standardization Committee of the ISTH. Thromb Haemost 74:1185–1190
Von Feldt JM (2008) The cardiovascular threat of lupus. Nat Clin Pract Rheumatol 4:505
Schanberg LE, Sandborg C, Barnhart HX, Ardoin SP, Yow E, Evans GW et al (2009) Atherosclerosis prevention in pediatric lupus erythematosus investigators. prematureatherosclerosis in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus: risk factors for increased carotidintima-media thickness in the atherosclerosis prevention in pediatric lupus erythematosuscohort. Arthritis Rheum 60:1496–1507
De Leeuw K, Smit AJ, de Groot E, van Roon AM, Kallenberg CG, Bijl M. Longitudinal study on premature atherosclerosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Atherosclerosis 2009; 25
Cypiene A, Kovaite M, Venalis A, Dadoniene J, Rugiene R, Petrulioniene Z et al (2009) Arterialwall dysfunction in systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus 18:522–529
Shang Q, Tam LS, Li EK, Yip GW, Yu CM (2008) Increased arterial stiffness correlated with disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus 17:1096–1102
Brodszki J, Bengtsson C, Länne T, Nived O, Sturfelt G, Marsál K (2004) Abnormal mechanical properties of larger arteries in postmenopausal women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus 13:917–923
Chow PC, Ho MH, Lee TL, Lau YL, Cheung YF (2007) Relation of arterial stiffness to left ventricular structure and function in adolescents and young adults with pediatric-onset systemic lupus erythematosus. J Rheumatol 6:1345–1352
McMahon M, Skaggs BJ, Sahakian L, Grossman J, FitzGerald J, et al. High plasma leptin levels confer increased risk of atherosclerosis in women with systemic lupus erythematosus, and are associated with inflammatory oxidised lipids. Ann Rheum Dis 2011; June 13
Vadacca M, Margiotta D, Sambataro G, Cacciapaglia F, Rigon A, Buzzulini F, Afeltra A (2010) Leptin levels in patients affected by Sjogren’s syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus. Ann Rheum Dis 69(Suppl3):573
Conflict of interest
None.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vadacca, M., Zardi, E.M., Margiotta, D. et al. Leptin, adiponectin and vascular stiffness parameters in women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Intern Emerg Med 8, 705–712 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11739-011-0726-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11739-011-0726-0