Circulating Adipocytokines and Chronic Kidney Disease

Background

Adipokines have been associated with atherosclerotic heart disease, which shares many common risk factors with chronic kidney disease (CKD), but their relationship with CKD has not been well characterized.

Methods

We investigated the association of plasma leptin, resistin and adiponectin with CKD in 201 patients with CKD and 201 controls without. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m² or presence of albuminuria. Quantile regression and logistic regression models were used to examine the association between adipokines and CKD adjusting for multiple confounding factors.

Results

Compared to controls, adjusted median leptin (38.2 vs. 17.2 ng/mL, p<0.0001) and adjusted mean resistin (16.2 vs 9.0 ng/mL, p<0.0001) were significantly higher in CKD cases. The multiple-adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of CKD comparing the highest tertile to the lower two tertiles was 2.3 (1.1, 4.9) for leptin and 12.7 (6.5, 24.6) for resistin. Median adiponectin was not significantly different in cases and controls, but the odds ratio comparing the highest tertile to the lower two tertiles was significant (1.9; 95% CI, 1.1, 3.6). In addition, higher leptin, resistin, and adiponectin were independently associated with lower eGFR and higher urinary albumin levels.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that adipocytokines are independently and significantly associated with the risk and severity of CKD. Longitudinal studies are warranted to evaluate the prospective relationship of adipocytokines to the development and progression of CKD.