Serum Adropin Levels in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Serum adropin levels as a potential biomarker for predicting diabetic kidney disease progression

Background

To investigate the value of serum adropin in predicting chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Materials and methods

Serum adropin levels were measured in normal control and T2D patients with various stage of CKD. CKD progression was defined as ≥ 30% decline from the baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate. Logistic regression analysis was applied to assess the association between adropin levels and CKD progression.

Results

The study included 58 subjects with T2D (18 early CKD and 40 advanced CKD) and 9 subjects without diabetes (control). Subjects with T2D had significantly higher adropin levels than controls (6393.10 ± 1611.84 vs. 3470.30 ± 1284.41 pg/ml; P < 0.001). Meanwhile, T2D patients with advanced CKD had higher adropin levels than those with early CKD (6848.89 ± 1287.04 vs. 5380.25 ± 1826.44 pg/ml; P = 0.003). Among T2D patients, subjects experienced CKD progression had higher adropin levels than those without (7520.15 ± 843.21 vs. 6151.16 ± 1661.61 pg/mL, P =0.003). Thus, adropin predicts CKD progression in T2D patients with 86% sensitivity and 70% specificity at 6872.24 pg/ml cutoff value. The association with CKD progression was still significant after adjusting for age, gender and body mass index (adjusted odds ratio = 27.188, 95% confidence interval 1.415-522.527, P =0.029).

Conclusions

The above findings suggest that serum adropin could be applied as a potential biomarker for predicting CKD progression in subjects with T2D. Further research is needed to validate these results and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Predictive biomarkers for cardiometabolic risk in postmenopausal women: insights into visfatin, adropin, and adiponectin

Background

Visfatin, adropin, and adiponectin are involved in many changes associated with obesity and metabolic disorders, and may be related to metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. The selection of visfatin, adropin, and adiponectin as biomarkers is based on their significant roles in metabolic regulation and inflammation, which are critical factors in cardiometabolic risk. Visfatin is known for its pro-inflammatory properties and its ability to modulate insulin resistance. Adropin is involved in energy homeostasis and metabolic health, while adiponectin has anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing effects. During the perimenopausal period, the risk of obesity, and consequently cardiometabolic diseases increases. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the relationship between cardiometabolic parameters and circulating levels of visfatin, adropin, and adiponectin in perimenopausal women with regard to their obesity status.

Materials and methods

This study of 168 perimenopausal women utilized a cross-sectional design with non-random sampling. It involved the use of questionnaires, as well as anthropometric and blood pressure measurements. Blood samples were collected to determine the levels of visfatin, adropin, and adiponectin. Statistical analyses, including correlation coefficients, were performed to evaluate the relationship between these biomarkers and cardiometabolic risk factors, such as insulin resistance, lipid profiles, and inflammatory markers.

Results

In our study, visceral adiposity index and lipid accumulation product negatively correlated with adiponectin levels. Preliminary multivariate linear regression analysis revealed a positive correlation between circulating visfatin and IL-6 levels. Circulating adropin negatively correlated with HbA1C, fasting blood glucose, and insulin. Adiponectin negatively correlated with HbA1C, fasting blood glucose, insulin, and triglycerides. Furthermore, circulating adiponectin positively correlated with HDL, and negatively with HOMA-IR.

Conclusions

Adiponectin is a promising biomarker for predicting cardiometabolic risk in postmenopausal women.

Adropin: a key player in immune cell homeostasis and regulation of inflammation in several diseases

Adropin is a secreted peptide encoded by the energy homeostasis-associated gene (ENHO), located chromosome 9p13.3, with a conserved amino acid sequence across humans and mice. Its expression is regulated by various factors, including fat, LXRα, ERα, ROR, and STAT3. Adropin plays a critical role in glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as insulin resistance, by modulating multiple signaling pathways that contribute to the reduction of obesity and the improvement of blood lipid and glucose homeostasis. Additionally, it influences immune cells and inflammation, exerting anti-inflammatory effects across various diseases. While extensive research has summarized the regulation of cellular energy metabolism by adropin, limited studies have explored its role in immune regulation and inflammation. To enhance the understanding of adropin's immune-modulating and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, this review synthesizes recent findings on its effects in conditions such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, fatty liver, non-alcoholic hepatitis, and inflammation. Furthermore, the review discusses the current research limitations and outlines potential future directions for adropin-related investigations. It is hoped that ongoing research into adropin will contribute significantly to the advancement of medical treatments for various diseases.

Serum adropin level in wet-type age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE

Our objective was to compare the serum Adropin levels between patients with wet-type Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and otherwise healthy individuals.

METHOD

The study included 45 patients with wet-type AMD and 45 individuals without age-related macular degeneration. Patients with co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, and a previous history of visual impairment; were excluded. FBS, Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C), lipid profile, and serum Adropin level were checked.

RESULTS

The mean serum Adropin level of patients with wet-type AMD was significantly lower than the control group (P-value < 0.001). Also, the mean High-sensitivity C-reactive protein ( hsCRP) level and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) were significantly higher in wet-type AMD patients (P-value = 0.031 and < 0.001 respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, wet-type AMD was associated with a lower level of serum Adropin. Because of Adropin involvement in glucose metabolism and age-related changes, it may have a role in the pathogenesis of AMD, but it requires more investigations at the molecular level to elucidate its function.

Effect of adropin on seizure activity in rats with penicillin-induced epilepsy

BACKGROUND

Epilepsy is a nervous system disease that affects millions of individuals worldwide, and up to 25% of patients have seizures that are resistant to antiepileptic drugs. Therefore, there is a need for the discovery of tolerable, effective antiepileptic agents. This study was aimed to electrophysiologically investigate the effects of the peptide hormone adropin, which was discovered in recent years and whose expression was determined in many organs, on penicillin-induced epileptiform activity in rats.

METHODS

Forty 16-18 weeks old 280-300 g female Wistar albino rats were divided into 5 groups, 8 in each group. 250 min of ECoG recordings were taken from the first group only under anesthesia. Penicillin was given to the second group, L-arginine to the third group, adropin to the fourth group, and these three substances to the fifth group, and records were taken for 250 min and statistically evaluated.

RESULTS

Measurements were made as spike frequency, amplitude values, spike percent change, amplitude percent change. It was determined that the substances given on penicillin-induced acute epilepsy reduced both the number and severity of epileptic seizures. The lowest values were obtained from the L-arginine group, second from the mixture group, and third from the adropin group.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the hormone adropin was not as effective as L-arginine on seizure activity, it can be said that it has a positive effect in terms of antiepileptic activity.

Sex Differences in Adiposity and Cardiovascular Diseases

Body fat distribution is a well-established predictor of adverse medical outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. Studying body fat distribution sheds insights into the causes of obesity and provides valuable information about the development of various comorbidities. Compared to total adiposity, body fat distribution is more closely associated with risks of cardiovascular diseases. The present review specifically focuses on the sexual dimorphism in body fat distribution, the biological clues, as well as the genetic traits that are distinct from overall obesity. Understanding the sex determinations on body fat distribution and adiposity will aid in the improvement of the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Adropin’s Role in Energy Homeostasis and Metabolic Disorders

Adropin is a novel 76-amino acid-peptide that is expressed in different tissues and cells including the liver, pancreas, heart and vascular tissues, kidney, milk, serum, plasma and many parts of the brain. Adropin, encoded by the Enho gene, plays a crucial role in energy homeostasis. The literature review indicates that adropin alleviates the degree of insulin resistance by reducing endogenous hepatic glucose production. Adropin improves glucose metabolism by enhancing glucose utilization in mice, including the sensitization of insulin signaling pathways such as Akt phosphorylation and the activation of the glucose transporter 4 receptor. Several studies have also demonstrated that adropin improves cardiac function, cardiac efficiency and coronary blood flow in mice. Adropin can also reduce the levels of serum triglycerides, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. In contrast, it increases the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, often referred to as the beneficial cholesterol. Adropin inhibits inflammation by reducing the tissue level of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6. The protective effect of adropin on the vascular endothelium is through an increase in the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase. This article provides an overview of the existing literature about the role of adropin in different pathological conditions.