Evaluating Relationships between Visceral Fat Measures and Adipokines Concentrations among Women with a History of Preeclampsia

Objective We sought to evaluate associations between postpartum plasma adipokine concentrations among women with a history of preeclampsia ( PE) without severe features (MPE), PE with severe features (SPE), and no PE (NPE). We also investigated relationships between adipokines and computed tomography (CT)-quantified measures of visceral fat (VF) area (VFA) and subcutaneous fat area (SCFA). Study Design We performed a secondary analysis of data collected as part of a previously performed cross-sectional study at our institution. Women with and without a history of PE were recruited in 10 years after delivery. VFA and SCFA measures were performed by CT scan. Anthropometric data and peripheral blood samples from subjects were collected concurrently. Results Plasma adiponectin concentrations (mu g/mL) were significantly lower among MPE (18.5 +/- 7.1) compared with NPE ( 27.3 +/- 13.8) and SPE ( 25.7 +/- 9.6). Leptin (p = 0.32) and resistin (p = 0.93) concentrations were similar among the groups. Adiponectin concentrations more closely aligned with VFA (beta = -0.001, p = 0.03), while resistin concentrations trended toward correlating with SCFA (beta = 0.02, p = 0.05). Leptin was not preferential to VFA or SCFA. Conclusion VF distribution may contribute to the variation in PE phenotype. Adiponectin specifically may be a promising marker representing VFA.