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Circulating ferritin concentrations are differentially associated with serum adipokine concentrations in Japanese men and premenopausal women

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Abstract

Purpose

Increased iron storage, as measured by circulating ferritin, has been linked to an increased risk of various diseases including diabetes. We examined the association of circulating ferritin with serum adiponectin, leptin, resistin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and visfatin levels.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study among 429 Japanese employees (284 men and 145 premenopausal women, mean age: 42.5 ± 10.5 years). Serum adipokines were measured using Luminex suspension bead-based multiplexed array, and serum ferritin was determined using a chemiluminescence immunoassay. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to calculate mean concentrations of adipokine according to the tertile of ferritin concentrations with adjustment for potential confounders.

Results

Leptin and visfatin concentrations increased with increasing ferritin concentrations in men after multivariable adjustment of physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, and body mass index (P for trend = 0.02 and 0.01 for leptin and visfatin, respectively). Serum ferritin concentrations were inversely and significantly associated with adiponectin in women (P for trend = 0.01). Resistin and PAI-1 were not appreciably associated with ferritin concentration.

Conclusions

Increased iron storage may be associated with higher circulating concentrations of leptin and visfatin in men and with lower concentrations of adiponectin in women.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the study participants for their cooperation and participation. We also thank Seiko Miyazaki and Yasutaka Horiuchi (Kyushu University); Emi Tanaka, Youko Tsuruda, Misaki Hirose, Meishu Sai, Miho Isayama, Midori Sasaki, Mie Shimomura and Azumi Uehara (Fukuoka Women’s University); Yaeko Nagano (retired nurse); and Akiko Hayashi, Yu Teruyama, Kae Saito, Kayoko Washizuka and Yuho Mizoue (National Center for Global Health and Medicine) for their help in data collection. We extend our thanks to Kazuko Nagase and Dai Suzuki (Department of Metabolic Disorder, Diabetes Research Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine) for their contributions to measurements of serum adipokines.

Authors’ contribution

TM and KK designed the study; MS, HH, and TM arranged the field survey; KY measured the serum adipokine levels; YK performed the statistical analysis, wrote the manuscript, and had primary responsibility for its final content; and YK, KK, MS, KY, AS, IK, HH, and TM were involved in the revision of the manuscript as well as the final version of the manuscript.

Funding

This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 21390213, 21790598, 25293146, a grant of National Center for Global Health and Medicine, a grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, and Practical Research Project for Life-Style related Diseases including Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes Mellitus (15ek0210021h0002), Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Nutritional Sciences, Nakamura Gakuen University, 5-7-1 Befu, Jounan-Ku, Fukuoka, 814-0104, Japan

    Yasumi Kimura

  2. Department of Metabolic Disorder, Diabetes Research Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Kazuki Yasuda

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Center for Clinical Sciences, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Kayo Kurotani, Shamima Akter, Ikuko Kashino & Tetsuya Mizoue

  4. Graduate School of Nutrition and Health Science, Fukuoka Women’s University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Hitomi Hayabuchi

  5. Laboratory of Nutrition Chemistry, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Masao Sato

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  1. Yasumi Kimura
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  2. Kazuki Yasuda
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  3. Kayo Kurotani
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  4. Shamima Akter
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  5. Ikuko Kashino
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  6. Hitomi Hayabuchi
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  8. Tetsuya Mizoue
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Correspondence to Yasumi Kimura.

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Kimura, Y., Yasuda, K., Kurotani, K. et al. Circulating ferritin concentrations are differentially associated with serum adipokine concentrations in Japanese men and premenopausal women. Eur J Nutr 56, 2497–2505 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1285-y

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