Low vaspin levels are related to endothelial dysfunction in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Abstract

Vaspin is a novel adipocytokine associated with glucose tolerance and chronic inflammation. Some studies reveal that vaspin may be involved in cardiovascular diseases. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between serum vaspin levels and endothelial function in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. One hundred and twenty patients with newly diagnosed ankylosing spondylitis and 100 healthy subjects were studied. Serum vaspin levels were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. High resolution ultrasound was used to measure brachial artery diameter at rest, after reactive hyperemia (flow-mediated dilation, FMD) and after sublingual glyceryltrinitrate. Serum vaspin level in patients was 1.92±1.03 ng/mL, which was significantly lower than that in healthy subjects (2.88±0.81 ng/mL). By dividing the distribution of serum vaspin levels into quartiles, FMD levels increased gradually with the increase of serum vaspin levels in patients (P<0.01). Univariate analysis showed a correlation between vaspin and FMD (r=0.73, P=0.003), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r=-0.45, P=0.033), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r=0.63, P=0.025), fasting blood glucose (r=-0.79, P=0.006), triglycerides (TG) (r=-0.68, P=0.036), systolic blood pressure (r=-0.35, P=0.021), C-reactive protein (r=-0.67, P=0.011), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (r=-0.77, P=0.023) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r=-0.88, P=0.039) in patients. Multivariate analysis indicated that serum vaspin levels were independently associated with FMD, HOMA-IR and TG in patients. Our study found that serum vaspin levels were decreased in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and were associated with FMD levels. Vaspin may serve as an independent marker for detecting early stage atherosclerosis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Are Vaspin and Omentin-1 Related to Insulin Resistance, Blood Pressure and Inflammation in NAFLD Patients?

“…Inflammatory process amelioration may aid in impaired insulin sensitivity (25, 29). In contrast, a series of previous studies revealed a negative association between hs-CRP and vaspin levels (32, 33). These controversies in reported results may in part be due to the different influences of various chronic inflammatory diseases on vaspin concentrations.…”

Effects of Vaspin on Insulin Resistance in Rats and Underlying Mechanisms

“…The present study found that vaspin intervention could significantly reduce the serum levels of FBG and FINS in rats with HFD-induced IR. Studies have also shown that serum vaspin levels are significantly associated with TG and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) 31 , 32 . Choi et al .…”

Vaspin protects against LPS‑induced ARDS by inhibiting inflammation, apoptosis and reactive oxygen species generation in pulmonary endothelial cells via the Akt/GSK‑3β pathway

“…The majority of adipokines are proinflammatory, whereas a small number of anti-inflammatory adipokines exert beneficial effects on obesity-associated complications ( 13 ). Vaspin functions as a novel predictor of obesity-associated vascular disorders and endothelial damage in human studies ( 21 , 23 ). Furthermore, it has been demonstrated to be involved in the modulation of diverse biological process, including inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress in experimental studies ( 24 – 28 , 34 ), which are potentially implicated in the pathogenesis of ARDS.…”

“…Furthermore, a previous study reported that lower fasting vaspin levels were correlated with ischemic vascular events in the last 3 months in patients with carotid stenosis compared to those with asymptomatic stenosis ( 22 ). Decreased serum vaspin levels were also observed in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and were associated with flow-mediated dilation levels, thus indicating that vaspin may be a marker for detecting early stage atherosclerosis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis ( 23 ). Vaspin is believed to serve a local and endocrine role in the initiation and development of vascular disorders by affecting endothelial cells (ECs), thus disrupting vascular homeostasis.…”