Abstract

Background Adiponectin is an adipose-derived plasma protein that exhibits beneficial actions on the heart. Recently, it was shown that adiponectin levels were elevated in patients with systolic heart failure.

Objective To investigate the association between adiponectin levels and left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), characterised by diastolic dysfunction.

Methods Twenty-six patients with HCM showing LV ejection fraction of >60% were enrolled. LV pressure half-time (T_1/2) was measured as an index of myocardial relaxation. Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of baseline T_1/2 (group A: T_1/2< 35 ms, group B: T_1/2≥ 35 ms). Blood samples were simultaneously collected from the coronary sinus (CS) and aortic root (Ao) as well as the peripheral vein (PV) for measurement of plasma adiponectin levels.

Results Plasma adiponectin levels were significantly higher in group B than in group A. Adiponectin levels in the PV were positively correlated with the baseline T_1/2 in patients with HCM. The transcardiac gradient of adiponectin as calculated by the Ao−CS difference was significantly higher in group A than in group B. The transcardiac gradient of adiponectin also inversely correlated with the baseline T_1/2 and adiponectin levels in PV in patients with HCM. The expression of AdipoR1 but not AdipoR2 in the heart decreased in group B. The baseline T_1/2 was negatively associated with AdipoR1 expression in patients with HCM.

Conclusions These data document that adiponectin is an indicator of LV diastolic dysfunction in patients with HCM.