Plasma adipocytokine levels in obese and insulin resistant postmenopausal females with type 2 diabetes.

The objective of this study was to compare plasma levels of adiponectin and leptin in lean (LN), obese (OB) and obese diabetic (OD) postmenopausal females (PMF). We recruited 26 PM women (group 1, mean age - 59,7+/-8,1 years, BMI - 36,6+/-1,8 kg/m(2)). All women had their last menstrual flow more than 2 year before the study (mean duration of PM period was 11,9+/-8,3 years). No woman had received hormones within 3 months of this study. All Women were diabetic patients (mean duration of DM2 was 9,5+/-5,5 years). Ten obese (group 2; mean BMI - 35,9+/-2,3 kg/m(2) and age - 58,1+/-4,7 years) and ten lean (group 3; mean BMI - 22,3+/-1,9 kg/m(2) and age - 56,5+/-5,6 years) PM women were recruited as controls for comparing adipocytokine levels. Adiponectin was significantly decreased and leptin is significantly elevated in OD PMF in comparison with group 1 and 2 (p<0,001 and p=0,003, respectively). There was a tendency for adiponectin levels to be lower in OD PMF as compared with OB individuals (p=0,053). OD PMF were more insulin resistant than OB and LN subjects (p<0,001). Hypoadiponectinemia in PMF may be explained by IR and obesity. Leptin levels in OD PMF are not significantly different from leptin levels of OB subjects, although they significantly differ from leptin levels of LN individuals.