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Metabolic and genetic predictors of circulating adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein

International Journal of Obesity volume 36, pages 766–773 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

Background:

Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (AFABP) was recently introduced as a novel adipokine playing an important role in glucose homeostasis. In this study, we investigated the relationship between serum AFABP levels and metabolic, as well as cardiovascular parameters, in the self-contained population of Sorbs. Furthermore, we conducted a genome-wide association study on serum AFABP concentrations in the Sorbs and we separately analyzed the effects of two common variants in the FABP4 gene on AFABP serum concentration.

Methods:

Serum AFABP concentrations were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and correlated with metabolic and cardiovascular parameters, as well as inflammatory markers and renal function, in 868 well-characterized non-diabetic Sorbs from Germany.

Results:

Median AFABP serum concentrations were 1.5-fold higher in female subjects (23.03 μg l−1) as compared to male subjects (15.86 μg l−1). Waist-to-height ratio and glomerular filtration rate were independently associated with AFABP concentrations in multiple regression analysis in both female and male subjects. The genome-wide scan for association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms with serum AFABP levels in the Sorbs revealed 39 loci reaching P-values <10−4. Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms, rs16909187 and rs10808846, representing common genetic variation in FABP4 did not show any effect on serum AFABP concentrations in our study cohort.

Conclusion:

AFABP serum concentrations are determined by parameters of fat distribution, renal function and gender.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany, FKZ: 01EO1001 (IFB Adiposity Diseases, project K7-3 to MF), the German Research Council (KFO-152 to MB, MF and MS), the Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research, University of Leipzig (B25 to MF; B27 to AT, PK and MS) and the German Diabetes Association (to AT, PK, and SK). We thank Knut Krohn (Microarray Core Facility of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research, University of Leipzig) for the genotyping/analytical support and Joachim Thiery (Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, University of Leipzig) for clinical chemistry services. We also thank Nigel W Rayner (WTCHG, University of Oxford, UK) for the bioinformatics support and Beate Enigk (Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research, University of Leipzig) for excellent technical assistance in the lab.

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Author notes

  1. A Tönjes and S Kralisch: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Department III, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    A Tönjes, S Kralisch, U Lössner, M Blüher, M Stumvoll & M Fasshauer

  2. Leipzig University Medical Center, IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig, Germany

    A Tönjes, S Kralisch, U Lössner, M Blüher, M Stumvoll & M Fasshauer

  3. LIFE Study Center, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    A Tönjes & M Stumvoll

  4. Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    P Kovacs

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  1. A Tönjes
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Correspondence to M Fasshauer.

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Tönjes, A., Kralisch, S., Lössner, U. et al. Metabolic and genetic predictors of circulating adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein. Int J Obes 36, 766–773 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.162

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