Background

Adiponectin Background

Adiponectin, also referred to as ACRP-30 (adipocyte related protein of 30 kDa), is an adipokine secreted by adipose tissue with insulin sensitizing properties, and exerts both anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects. Adiponectin circulates in several oligomeric isoforms with varying degrees of biological activity. Current literature emphasizes the role of high-molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin, as well as the value of the ratio between total and HMW adiponectin (this ratio has been annotated as both HMWR and SA).

The HMWR has been shown to be a better indicator of insulin sensitivity than total adiponectin levels (1, 2). Additionally, literature also shows that a high HMWR is related to a decreased risk for type 2 diabetes independent of total adiponectin (3), and that HMW adiponectin and the HMWR correlates more closely with the presence of coronary atherosclerosis than total adiponectin (4). In addition, HMW adiponectin levels demonstrate a predictive value relative to the development of various metabolic syndrome cluster traits (including insulin resistance, glucose tolerance, lipoprotein distribution and the progression to a type II diabetic phenotype)(5)

These findings highlight the importance of discriminating between the adiponectin oligomers in circulation, however, measurement of the varying isoforms of adiponectin historically required extremely labor-intensive and sophisticated laboratory techniques. The Human Multimeric Adiponectin ELISA allows for the measurement of all adiponectin isoforms in one assay system.

  1. 1. Pajvani, et al. 2004. J Biol Chem 279 (13): 12152-62.
  2. 2. Hara, et al. 2006. Diabetes Care 29: 1357-62.
  3. 3. Heidemann, et al. 2008. Annals of Internal Medicine 149 (5): 307-316.
  4. 4. von Eynatten, et al. 2008. European Heart Journal 29: 1307-1315.
  5. 5. Lara-Castro, et al. 2006. Diabetes 55: 249-259.