Postprandial adiponectin levels are unlikely to contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity in Prader-Willi syndrome.

AIM

To investigate fasting and postprandial adiponectin levels in PWS patients as compared to obese and lean subjects and whether they could contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity in this syndrome.

METHODS

We studied 7 patients with PWS, 16 obese patients and 42 lean subjects for the fasting study. From this group, we evaluated 7 patients with PWS, 7 age-sex-BMI-matched obese non-PWS patients and 7 age-sex-matched lean subjects before and after the administration of 3,139.5 kJ (750 kcal) of a standard liquid meal (53.2% carbohydrate, 30% fat, 16.7% protein) after an overnight fast. Blood samples were obtained every 15 min for the first hour and every 30 min thereafter until 6 h. Adiponectin, IGF-I, glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, and insulin were measured.

RESULTS

Fasting plasma adiponectin levels were lower in PWS than in lean subjects (5.24+/-2.56 vs. 8.28+/-4.63 microg/ml, p=0.041) but higher than in obese patients (4.01+/-1.27 microg/ml, p=0.047). After the meal, adiponectin concentrations mildly decreased in PWS at time point 240 min, while in obese and lean subjects no changes were observed. However, 6-hour postprandial AUC for adiponectin was similar in all three groups.

CONCLUSION

Fasting adiponectin levels are low in PWS, but they are so mildly modulated postprandially that these changes do not seem significant for the pathogenesis of obesity in this syndrome.