Aim: Chemerin is a novel adipokine that has been suggested to play an important role in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome. The aim of our study was to evaluate serum chemerin as a marker of the metabolic syndrome and to assess its predictive accuracy in a Caucasian population.
Methods: The study was designed as a cross-sectional study. Anthropometric measurements and serum analyses were done for Body Mass Index, waist circumference, chemerin, insulin, triacylglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, uric acid, and glucose in 55 non-obese healthy subjects and 181 subjects at risk for the metabolic syndrome. ROC curves were determined and the Chi-squared test was used to analyse the data.
Results: Compared with healthy controls, subjects with suspected metabolic syndrome had significantly higher chemerin serum levels (medians: 266.0 vs.192.5 microg/l; P < 0.01). After further chemerin adjustment, the difference between the subgroups persisted. Chemerin serum levels correlated with age (r = 0.23), serum glucose (r = 0.23), HDL-cholesterol (r = -0.19), triacylglycerides (r = 0.22), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.40; r = 0.24) and the number of metabolic syndrome risk factors (r = 0.47). At a serum chemerin cut-off level of 240 microg/l, the presence of the metabolic syndrome was diagnosed with 75 % sensitivity and 67 % specificity.
Conclusion: In conclusion, serum chemerin levels are associated with the characteristics of the metabolic syndrome and could be an independent marker of this disorder in a Caucasian population.