Zinc alpha-2 glycoprotein is implicated in dyslipidaemia in HIV-1-infected patients treated with antiretroviral drugs.

Objectives: Treated HIV-1-infected patients with lipodystrophy often develop insulin resistance and proatherogenic dyslipidaemia. Zinc alpha-2 glycoprotein (ZAG) is a recently characterized adipokine which has been shown to be involved in the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome in uninfected subjects. We assessed the relationship between circulating ZAG levels and metabolic derangements in HIV-1-infected patients receiving antiretroviral drugs.

Study of the potential association of adipose tissue GLP-1 receptor with obesity and insulin resistance.

The increase in glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) activity has emerged as a useful therapeutic tool for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The actions of GLP-1 on β-cells and the nervous and digestive systems are well known. The action of this peptide in adipose tissue (AT), however, is still poorly defined.

Distribution and determinants of adiponectin, resistin and ghrelin in a randomly selected healthy population.

Objective: Adiponectin, resistin, ghrelin and the IGF-I system seem to play an important role in the regulation of body composition throughout life, but the mechanisms are not well understood. The aim of our study was to analyse the distribution among sexes and all decades of the adult life of adiponectin, resistin and ghrelin and their relationship with anthropometric, body composition parameters and the IGF-I system.

Subjects: One hundred and thirty-four men and 127 healthy women were included in the study.

Mannose-binding lectin gene polymorphisms are associated with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Insulin resistance is a feature of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Inverse correlations between indexes of insulin sensitivity and serum markers of inflammation have been observed and, particularly, TNF-alpha has been shown to be associated with the appearance of insulin resistance in pregnancy. Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a protein member of the collectin family.