Adipocytokines and their relationship with symptomatic atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease

Atherosclerosis - a focal arterial process rather than a disease in itself is the main factor causing ischemic cardiopathy, cerebro vascular accidents or peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and represents the major cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. The aim of this study was to determine clinical characteristics extended by possible determination of new atherogenesis markers in patients with the PAD due to atherosclerosis. We measured resistin and leptin serum levels (as proatherogenic markers), and adiponectin (as an antiatherogenic marker) in a patients with PAD. The study is an analytic observational case-control study, performed on a group of 70 patients with atherosclerotic PAD. The mean value of resistin (14.9 +/- 9 pg/ml) and leptin in male: 1429.5 (189-9714) pg/ml and female: 3045 (217-9785) pg/ml patients included in the PAD group was higher, as compared to the control group. No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups for resistin (p=0.766) and for leptin in females (p=0.131). Difference was signifficant in male group for leptin (p=0.020). The results of our study confirm the fact that hypoadiponectinemia can be associated with atherosclerotic PAD (p=0.003). We also tried to establish correlations between these adipocytokines and the risk factors involved in PAD. A percentage of 76.4% of the patients had at least one risk factor. Serum levels of adiponectin and leptin were significantly changed in the arteriopathy patients with coronary artery disease, with no statistically significant difference in adipocytokines levels in the obese arteriopathy patients.