Adiponectin, total antioxidant status, and urine albumin excretion in the low-risk “Golden Years” type 1 diabetes mellitus cohort

Abstract Adiponectin is associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. Levels are reduced in type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease. Conversely, levels are elevated in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and associated with microalbuminuria and diabetic nephropathy. An explanation may be that elevated adiponectin in T1DM represents a beneficial counterregulatory response to disease. Our aim was to examine adiponectin in relation to urinary albumin excretion and plasma total antioxidant status (TAOS) in subjects with long-standing T1DM. Serum adiponectin and plasma TAOS were measured in 338 samples from the Golden Years cohort. These subjects have T1DM for at least 50 years and are at low risk of complications. Subjects were divided into normoalbuminuria, microalbuminuria, and macroalbuminuria groups. Adiponectin was elevated in women (20.53 ± 5.94 vs 11.8 ± 3.6 mg/L, P < .001); therefore, the samples were sex stratified. Within men, adiponectin was higher in those with macroalbuminuria (normoalbuminuria vs microalbuminuria vs macroalbuminuria: 10.97 ± 3.26 vs 11.55 ± 3.50 vs 23.63 ± 7.07 mg/L, P = .002). In women, no difference was observed (20.48 ± 5.61 vs 20.75 ± 7.04 vs 29.62 ± 7.81 mg/L, respectively; P = .42). Plasma TAOS did not differ by groups. The correlation between adiponectin and TAOS showed a linear increase from normoalbuminuria, microalbuminuria, to macroalbuminuria in men ( r = 0.33, P = .001; r = 0.48, P < .001; r = 0.59, P = .04) and women ( r = 0.25, P = .01; r = 0.63, P < .001; r = 0.79, P = .08). Adiponectin was higher in women. Within men, levels were significantly higher in the presence of macroalbuminuria. In both sexes, adiponectin and TAOS were correlated, which was most marked with micro-/macroalbuminuria. The increase in adiponectin in the face of an insult may be a compensatory mechanism to reduce oxidative burden.