High plasma resistin level is associated with enhanced highly sensitive C-reactive protein and leukocytes.

OBJECTIVES: Resistin is a newly described hormone with a suggested role in insulin resistance. In humans, inflammatory cells seem to be the major source of resistin. The aim of this study was to find out whether plasma resistin concentration associates with carotid artery atherosclerosis and the risk factors of atherosclerosis.

METHODS: Plasma resistin concentrations were measured in 525 Finnish middle-aged subjects among our population-based cohort. Intima-media thickness was measured from the internal carotid artery, the bifurcation enlargement, and the common carotid artery.

RESULTS: Among all the subjects, the median resistin concentration was 7.07 ng/ml (interquartile range, 5.82-8.84), women having higher levels than men (P < 0.001) with median values of 7.56 ng/ml (6.18-9.19) and 6.67 ng/ml (5.63-8.31), respectively. Resistin level correlated negatively with mean intima-media thickness, internal carotid artery, and common carotid artery, but the association did not remain significant after adjustments. Plasma resistin concentration was associated positively with leukocytes (P < 0.001), highly sensitive C-reactive protein (P = 0.009), and IGF binding protein 1 (P < 0.001), but not with plasma insulin or glucose levels in analysis of covariance after adjustments for age, sex, and body mass index.

CONCLUSIONS: The results imply that inflammatory factors are more important in the determination of plasma resistin concentration than plasma insulin or glucose values. Resistin is associated with proatherogenic inflammatory markers but not independently with early atherosclerosis.