Byung-Soo Youn, Kang-Yeol Yu, Hong Je Park, Nam Seok Lee, Sung Shik Min, Moon Yeon Youn, Young Min Cho, Young Joo Park, Seong Yeon Kim, Hong Kyu Lee and Kyong Soo Park

KOMED Institute for Life Science, Graduate School of Biotechnology, Korea University (B.-S.Y., K.-Y.Y., H.J.P., N.S.L., S.S.M., M.Y.Y.), Seoul, 136-701, Korea; Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine (Y.M.C., Y.J.P., S.Y.K., H.K.L., K.S.P.), Seoul, 110-744, Korea; and Genome Research Center for Diabetes and Endocrine Disease, Clinical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital (Y.M.C., K.S.P.), Seoul, 110-744, Korea

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Kyong Soo Park, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28 Yongon-Dong, Chongno-Gu, Seoul 110-744, Korea.

Resistin is an adipocyte-derived peptide that might play a role in obesity and insulin resistance. However, its role in humans is largely unclear. Although many studies have measured the expression of human resistin in tissues, the circulating concentrations of resistin and its relation to metabolic parameters in humans are unknown. We developed an ELISA for human resistin and measured plasma concentrations in aged individuals with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus. To validate the results of plasma resistin concentrations in our subjects, plasma adiponectin concentrations were also determined, which were higher in nondiabetic subjects than in type 2 diabetic patients and correlated with the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Log-transformed plasma resistin concentrations (log-resistin) were higher in diabetic patients compared with normal individuals (0.50 ± 0.39 vs. 0.28 ± 0.51 ng/ml; P < 0.001), and this difference was significant after controlling for gender and body mass index. Log-resistin did not show a significant correlation with HOMA-IR, waist circumference, body mass index, blood pressure, or total cholesterol. The plasma glucose concentration was an independent factor associated with log-resistin. In conclusion, plasma resistin concentrations are elevated in patients with type 2 diabetes, but are not associated with insulin resistance or obesity.

This work was supported by grants from the Korea Health 21 R&D Project, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea (00-PJ3-PG6-GN07-001 and 02-PJ1-PG11-VN01-SV02-0051).

B.-S.Y., K.-Y.Y., and H.J.P. contributed equally to this work.

Abbreviations: BMI, Body mass index; CV, coefficient of variation; HDL, high density lipoprotein; HOMA-IR, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance; log-resistin, log-transformed plasma resistin concentration; MAb, monoclonal antibody; PBST, PBS containing 1% BSA and 0.05% Tween 20; RELM, resistin-like molecule.