Low serum adropin is associated with coronary atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic patients

Diabetes increases the risk and severity of atherosclerosis. Adropin, a metabolic homeostasis-related protein, has been implicated in the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis. We examined the relationship between serum adropin level and angiographic severity of coronary atherosclerosis in diabetic and non-diabetic patients.A total of 392 patients with suspected coronary artery disease, who underwent coronary angiography, were assigned into the type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic groups and also classified into four groups according to the quartiles of adropin level. Venous serum samples were collected for adropin measurement by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and for biochemistry assay. The angiographic severity of coronary atherosclerosis was assessed by Gensini, Friesinger, and SYNTAX scores.Compared with non-diabetic patients, diabetic patients had lower serum adropin level and higher Gensini, Friesinger and SYNTAX scores (all p0.001). Serum adropin level was inversely correlated with the Gensini, Friesinger and SYNTAX scores (rs=-0.389, -0.390 and -0.386, respectively, all p0.001) among all patients. Low adropin level was an independent predictor of clinically relevant coronary atherosclerosis (SYNTAX score11), both in diabetic patients [odds ratio (OR) 0.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53-0.83; p0.001] and in non-diabetic patients (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.35-0.74; p0.001).Serum adropin level was significantly lower in type 2 diabetic patients than in non-diabetic patients and was inversely and independently associated with angiographic severity of coronary atherosclerosis, suggesting that serum adropin serves as a novel predictor of coronary atherosclerosis.