BACKGROUND

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a clinical constellation comprising risk factors associated with developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Resistin has been suggested as a linkage between obesity, inflammation and type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to investigate resistin concentrations and hematological-biochemical parameters in MS subjects and controls, and to determine whether two resistin gene ( polymorphisms (-420C>G & +299G>A) are linked to resistin levels and MS among Thais.

METHODS

This case-control study was performed with 322 Thai volunteers: 160 MS subjects and 162 controls. Anthropometric parameters and hematological-biochemical variables were determined. The -420C>G (rs1862513) and +299G>A (rs3745367) polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-RFLP technique.

RESULTS

The resistin levels of the MS group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Resistin levels were positively correlated with anthropometric parameters and WBC count in the MS group. According to -420C>G polymorphism, MS subjects with the G allele (CG/GG) (3.9 μg/L) had significantly higher resistin concentrations than in subjects with the CC genotype (2.4 μg/L); with regard to +299G>A polymorphism, carriers with the A allele (GA/AA) (3.8 μg/L) had significantly higher resistin levels than subjects with the GG genotype (2.7 μg/L), after adjusting for potential covariates. However, the -420C>G and +299G>A polymorphisms were not found to be associated with MS, hematological-biochemical parameters and anthropometric variables.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest resistin levels are linked with MS and the -420C>G and +299G>A polymorphisms have impacted the circulating resistin concentrations. However, these two polymorphisms probably do not influence susceptibility to MS among Thais.