Usefulness of C-reactive protein to high-molecular-weight adiponectin ratio to predict insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in Japanese men.

AIM: We questioned whether the ratio of C-reactive protein to high-molecular-weight adiponectin (C/A ratio), compared to each value alone, is more useful to predict insulin resistance and/or metabolic syndrome.

METHODS: We measured serum CRP and HMW adiponectin levels in 841 Japanese men who had participated in an annual health checkup. Correlations of the C/A ratio with metabolic parameters were assessed, and its predictive values for insulin resistance and MetS were compared with CRP or HMW adiponectin alone.

RESULTS: The C/A ratio was higher in subjects with MetS (n = 114) than in those without MetS (0.46 ± 0.67 vs. 0.23 ± 0.39, p<0.0001). The C/A ratio was correlated with a larger number of metabolic parameters than CRP, but the correlation was comparable to HMW adiponectin. Likewise, the area under the curve of the C/A ratio in receiver operator characteristic analysis for MetS was greater than that of CRP, but comparable to that of HMW adiponectin. However, the AUC of the C/A ratio in ROC analysis for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR >2.5) was greater than that of CRP or HMW adiponectin alone.

CONCLUSION: While the C/A ratio provided little advantage to predict MetS, it might be more useful to predict insulin resistance than CRP or HMW adiponectin alone.