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 Ͻ 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 Ͻ 0.001), highly sensitive C-reactive protein (P ϭ 0.009), and IGF binding protein 1 (P Ͻ 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.

The results suggest that resistin may play a role in atherogenesis probably through increasing insulin resistance.

Objective: Abdominal obesity, insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinaemia play a central role in the pathogenesis of the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Abdominal adipose tissue is a source of adipokines, such as adiponectin and resistin, both of which may be involved in the development of insulin resistance and chronic inflammation in PCOS. Ghrelin, an important regulatory peptide of food intake, may also play a role in metabolic disturbances related to PCOS.The aim of this study was to examine the effects of 4 months of treatment with the insulin sensitizer rosiglitazone on plasma adiponectin, resistin and ghrelin levels in overweight women with PCOS. Design: A randomised placebo-controlled study. Methods: Thirty overweight/obese women with PCOS (body mass indexO25 kg/m 2 , mean age 29.1G 1.2 (S.E.M.) years) were randomly allocated to either rosiglitazone (Avandia, 4 mg twice a day) or placebo treatment. Plasma levels of adiponectin, resistin and ghrelin and their correlation to serum levels of insulin, C-peptide and steroid hormones, and insulin sensitivity (euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamp) were assessed. Results: Adiponectin and ghrelin levels correlated significantly with most metabolic markers of insulin resistance and with serum levels of DHEA and 17-hydroxyprogesterone. Plasma levels of adiponectin increased from 9.26G0.90 (S.E.M.) to 22.22G3.66 mg/ml (P!0.001) and those of resistin decreased from 12.57G1.63 to 9.21G0.53 ng/ml (PZ0.009) at 4 months of treatment, but plasma ghrelin levels did not change. Conclusions: Rosiglitazone had beneficial effects on serum levels of adiponectin and resistin, suggesting that these adipocytokines may contribute to the improvement in insulin sensitivity observed during the treatment.

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