1Associations of Resistin with Inflammatory and Fibrinolytic Markers, Insulin Resistance, and Metabolic Syndrome in Middle-Aged and Older Chinese

Resistin increases insulin resistance in mice. However, the role of resistin in human disease remains controversial. We aimed to assess plasma resistin levels and their associations with inflammatory and fibrinolytic markers, insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Chinese. Design and methods Plasma resistin was measured in a population-based cross-sectional survey of 3,193 Chinese aged from 50 to 70 years in Beijing and Shanghai. Results The median resistin concentration was 8.60 ng/ml (interquartile range, 5.78–14.00) among all participants, and it was higher in women than in men (P = 0.008). Resistin was correlated weakly with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (negatively), homeostatic model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) and tumor necrosis factor- receptor 2 (TNFR2) (r = 0.04, 0.07, –0.09 and 0.06, respectively, all P < 0.05), and more highly with C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6 and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 (r = 0.12, 0.12 and 0.21