Elevation of plasma retinol-binding protein 4 and reduction of plasma adiponectin in subjects with cerebral infarction

The present study was undertaken to determine plasma retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and adiponectin levels in subjects with cerebral infarction. Fifty-eight subjects with cerebral infarction and 53 age- and sex-matched control subjects were enrolled. Plasma RBP4, adiponectin, and high-molecular-weight adiponectin were measured by the method of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Plasma RBP4 was 16.4 +/- 2.8 microg/mL in the subjects with cerebral infarction, a value significantly greater than that of 10.1 +/- 1.2 microg/mL in the controls (P = .044). Inversely, plasma adiponectin was significantly less in the subjects with cerebral infarction than the control subjects (8.1 +/- 0.8 vs 10.8 +/- 0.7 microg/mL, P = .015). However, there was no difference in plasma high-molecular-weight adiponectin between the 2 groups of subjects. In the control subjects, there were negative correlations between plasma RBP4 and adiponectin and between plasma RBP4 and high-molecular-weight adiponectin levels; and they totally disappeared in the subjects with cerebral infarction. The multiple regression analysis showed that adiponectin and hypertension were independent factors contributing to cerebral infarction (P < .001). These findings indicate that hypoadiponectinemia is concomitantly involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and that an elevation of plasma RBP4 may be a useful marker for the development of atherosclerosis, in subjects with cerebral infarction.