Association of serum resistin with cystatin C and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio in elderly Chinese men with essential hypertension

Purpose of the study Resistin, a recently discovered proinflammatory cytokine, has been strongly linked to kidney dysfunction. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of serum resistin with serum cystatin C (sCysC) and albuminuria, two sensitive endogenous markers of renal function, in elderly male patients with essential hypertension (EH). Study design This was a cross-sectional study enrolling 296 Chinese men (age ≥60 years, mean age 81.42 years) diagnosed with EH between January 2008 and May 2011. Renal function was assessed by measurement of sCysC levels and albuminuria (calculated as the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR)). Serum resistin and selected metabolic and cardiovascular markers were determined by serological testing. Relationships between serum resistin levels and sCysC levels and uACR were analysed using multiple regression analysis. Results Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the serum resistin level was positively associated with the sCysC level and uACR (βuACR=0.132, puACR=0.002; βsCysC=0.015, psCysC=0.008). Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that a raised serum resistin level is a potential indicator of renal dysfunction in elderly patients with EH. Resistin may be explored as a potential biomarker in addition to sCysC and uACR to provide a more accurate diagnosis of renal damage in elderly men with EH.