The association of serum chemerin level with risk of coronary artery disease in Chinese adults

Chemerin is a newly discovered adipokine which has been found closely associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome (MetS), and inflammatory status. This study will investigate whether serum chemerin levels are associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) independently of other cardiovascular risk factors. This study included a total of 430 subjects (239 with CAD and 191 with non-CAD) who underwent coronary angiography. Anthropometric measurements were performed and chemerin, glucose, lipid profiles, and other biochemical characteristics were measured. The severity of coronary atherosclerosis was estimated by the total number of diseased vessels and Gensini score. Serum chemerin levels were significantly higher in the CAD group than in the non-CAD group (P = 0.011). The odds ratios (95% CI) of CAD across increasing quartiles of serum chemerin were 1.04 (0.61–1.78), 1.08 (0.63–1.83), and 1.87 (1.07–3.24), (P = 0.386, 0.508, and 0.012, respectively). Adjusting for age, sex, and other conventional risk factors for CAD did not appreciably alter the results. Serum chemerin levels were significantly increased with an increasing of number of diseased vessels (P = 0.024). In conditional linear regression models, chemerin levels were positively related to Gensini score even after established cardiovascular risk factors (β = 0.13, P = 0.019). Correlation analysis showed serum chemerin levels were significantly associated with TG levels, TC levels, fasting serum insulin, HOMA-IR and MetS (all P < 0.05). Higher serum chemerin levels were associated with increased risk of CAD and metabolic parameters in Chinese adults. Chemerin may represent a novel link between metabolic signals and atherosclerosis.