Circulating and Adipose Tissue Adiponectin Level and Outcomes in Incident Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of mortality and morbidity in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Adiponectin, a key adipokine, is related to obesity and insulin resistance. We determined the clinical and prognostic value of plasma adiponectin level and its adipose tissue messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in new PD patients. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of a prospective observational study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: 152 new PD patients from a single center; 6 adults undergoing abdominal surgeries without kidney disease served as controls. PREDICTORS: Plasma adiponectin level and its adipose tissue mRNA expression. OUTCOMES: Body build and composition, patient and technique survival. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Adiponectin level and mRNA expression were grouped in quartiles for correlation analysis for body build and Cox regression for survival analysis. RESULTS: The median plasma adiponectin level was 31.98 μg/mL (IQR, 16.81-49.49 μg/mL), and adiponectin mRNA expression in adipose tissue was 1.65 times higher than in controls (IQR, 0.98-2.63). There was a modest but statistically significant correlation between plasma adiponectin and its adipose tissue mRNA expression (r = 0.40, P < 0.001). Plasma adiponectin level inversely correlated with body mass index, waist-hip ratio, mid-arm circumference, adipose tissue mass, plasma triglyceride (r = -0.39, -0.38, -0.41, -0.38, and -0.30, respectively; P < 0.001 for all), as well as serum insulin level (r = -0.24, P = 0.005). Similar correlations were present but less marked with adipose tissue adiponectin mRNA level. Neither plasma adiponectin level nor adipose tissue adiponectin mRNA level predicted patient or technique survival. LIMITATIONS: Observational study, single center, single baseline measurement. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma adiponectin level correlated with the degree of adiposity in new PD patients. However, neither plasma adiponectin level nor its adipose tissue mRNA expression was an independent prognostic indicator in kidney failure patients newly started on PD.