Altered mRNA expression levels of vaspin and adiponectin in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Objectives Increasing studies have indicated the association between adipokines and multiple autoimmune diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the mRNA expression levels of vaspin, adiponectin and adrenomedullin in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), as well as their clinical associations. Methods A total of 46 SLE patients and 51 normal controls were recruited. The three adipokines expression levels in PBMCs from SLE patients were measured by qRT-PCR, and their associations with major clinical and laboratory parameters of SLE patients were also analyzed. Results Compared with normal controls, vaspin expression level in PBMCs was significantly decreased (P Conclusion Altered vaspin, adiponectin expression levels, and the associations between vaspin, adrenomedullin levels and disease activity in SLE patients suggested that these adipokines might play a role in SLE.