Relationship between iL-6, leptin and adiponectin and variables of fibrinolysis in overweight and obese hypertensive patients

Impaired fibrinolysis is a common finding in obese humans. This condition is now considered as an established risk factor for thromboembolic complications. Furthermore, obesity is characterized by a specific pattern of circulating concentrations of fat-cell products interleukin-6 (IL-6), leptin, and adiponectin. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between these proteins and selected variables of the fibrinolytic system in 74 mildly hypertensive, overweight subjects. Circulating IL-6 and leptin levels showed a positive association with BMI (r = 0.24, p = 0.04 and r = 0.70, p < 0.0001), whereas adiponectin was not correlated to BMI. Interestingly, IL-6 was also positively associated with t-PA/PAI-1 complexes after adjustment for BMI and other anthropometric variables. Leptin was positively correlated with PAI-1 activity and antigen (r = 0.32, p = 0.006 and r = 0.37, p < 0.001, respectively) and negatively with t-PA activity (r = -0.27, p = 0.03). However, these associations lost significance after correction for BMI or HOMA, an insulin sensitivity index. In contrast, adiponectin levels were independently and negatively correlated with PAI-1 antigen (r = -0.26, p = 0.04, after correction for BMI). In conclusion, our study provides further evidence that IL-6, leptin, and adiponectin are associated with impaired fibrinolysis in overweight hypertensive humans.