BACKGROUND Elevated serum level of retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) has been associated with obesity-related co-morbidities including insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and hypertension. OBJECTIVES The present study examined the relationship between serum level of RBP4 and various risk factors related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in men and women. METHODS 284 subjects (139 males, 145 femal...

Abstract Background To investigate the relationship between levels of serum adipokine retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) and essential hypertension as well to explore role mechanism RBP4-induced activation renin–angiotensin system (RAS) in adipocyte. Methods From December 2016 March 2019, 96 hypertensive patients without treatment 64 healthy nonhypertensive subjects were recruited. The difference...

CONTEXT Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is frequently associated with insulin resistance. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to investigate a putative role of the adipokines retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), adiponectin, and visfatin in a cohort of patients with PCOS and their response to treatment with pioglitazone. DESIGN AND SETTING We conducted a randomized, controlled, double-blind st...

BACKGROUND Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), a novel adipokine secreted by adipocytes and the liver, has elevated levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, its association with human metabolic diseases remains controversial. The present study was designed to investigate the associations of plasma RBP4 levels with oxidative stress, inflammatory markers, and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in...

Recent studies have suggested that retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4), an adipocytokine related to insulin resistance (IR), may play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Abnormal proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is one of the most common causes of atherosclerosis. Hyperinsulinism promotes proliferation of VSM...

Background: A chronic interstitial disease, kidney disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu), has emerged as a notable contributor to the CKD burden in rural Sri Lanka. Most therapeutic and diagnostic approaches focus on glomerular diseases, thus are not fully applicable CKDu. Serum proteins, specifically those with profile markers representing different facets beneficial for comprehensive evaluatio...

BACKGROUND The relative dose response (RDR) test, which quantifies the increase in serum retinol after vitamin A administration, is a qualitative measure of liver vitamin A stores. Particularly in preterm infants, the feasibility of the RDR test involving blood is critically dependent on small sample volumes. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to assess whether the RDR calculated with retinol-bindin...

CONTEXT Exercise training enhances insulin sensitivity. Changes in retinol-binding protein-4 (RBP4) and adiponectin levels are linked to insulin resistance. OBJECTIVE We tested whether the insulin-sensitizing effect of exercise is associated with age-related changes in circulating RBP4 and adiponectin levels in women. DESIGN, SUBJECTS, AND INTERVENTION We studied 36 healthy young (22.4 +/- ...

Effects of hypercholesterolemia on alterations of serum proteins have not been fully elucidated. Herein, using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) in conjunction with LC-MS searching has successfully been carried out to investigate the change of protein expression profiles as consequences of raised blood cholesterol at different levels (normal group: total cholesterol 200 mg/dL; borderli...

To investigate the influence of the prolactin receptor 3 (PRLR3) gene and the retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) gene on the production traits of swine, genotyping was performed on 156 and 141 Berkshire pigs, respectively, that were carefully selected for economic traits. The frequencies of allele A in the PRLR3 locus and allele B in the RBP4 locus were 0.50 and 0.42, respectively. Neither locus ...