Analysis of Serum Chemerin Level in Acanthosis Nigricans Patients: A Case Control Study
Ghada Fathy Mohammed, Ahmed Abdel-Fattah Afify, Sarah Ibrahim, Menna Mohamed El Zawahry- General Medicine
Abstract
Background
Acanthosis nigricans (AN) describes clinically a darkly pigmented thickening skin, which demonstrates epidermal/dermal hyperplasia with orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis and papillomatosis of stratum spinosum with basal layer hyperpigmentation, in the absence of actual acanthosis and melanocytosis in histology.
Aim of the Work
The aim of our work was assessment of serum concentrations of Chemerin level in obese patients with AN and the healthy control group, as well as evaluation of a possible correlation between chemerin concentrations and metabolic syndrome components.
Patients and Methods
Our study included 75 subjects, divided into three groups. The first group included 25 obese patients with AN, the second group included 25 obese patients without AN. In addition to the control group which included 25 healthy individuals. Each subject was assessed for blood pressure, body mass index and waist hip ratio. 3ml blood sample was taken from each subject. Lipid profile, serum glucose level, fasting serum insulin were measured. Chemerin concentration was assessed by quantitative ELISA.
Results
In our study, 100% of the included obese patients with AN and 88% of those without AN had metabolic syndrome. No statistically significant difference between them as regards BMI, SBP, DBP, WHR, fasting Insulin (P > 0.05). However, statistically significant higher levels of serum, Cholesterol, TG, HDL, and LDL were observed in obese patients with AN compared with those without AN (P ≤ 0.001). This result showed that AN is a clinical surrogate for laboratory-determined hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance indicating the highest risk for type 2 diabetes.
Conclusion
Acanthosis Nigricans has been demonstrated to be a useful screening marker for obesity and insulin resistance. In addition, there is correlation between chemerin concentrations and acanthosis nigricans. Serum chemerin could be considered one of the metabolic risk factors leading to insulin resistance in metabolic syndrome and may represent a novel marker of these derangement.