Abstract
Background: Serum sialic acid (TSA) has been shown to be a cardiovascular risk factor and an acute phase reactant, with elevated concentrations associated with increased cardiovascular mortality and to precede the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Aim: The purpose of this present study was to test the hypothesis that serum TSA may be related to serum leptin concentrations in healthy individuals.
Methods: Thirty Fijian individuals were studied (8 males and 22 females). They were urban Melanesians living in Raiwaga, a suburb of Suva in Fiji.
Results: Serum TSA significantly correlated with subject body mass index (BMI,
ρ 0.39,
P<0.05) and serum leptin concentration (
ρ 0.44,
P<0.05). In stepwise multiple regression analysis serum TSA independently correlated with subject waist/hip ratio (
r
2=0.167,
P<0.02) and diastolic blood pressure (
r
2=0.300,
P<0.01) but not with age, BMI, serum insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP-1), fasting plasma glucose or systolic or diastolic blood pressure.
Conclusions: Serum TSA is related to markers of obesity and adipose tissue metabolism which may help to explain why it is a reputed cardiovascular risk factor and why elevated serum TSA concentrations precede the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus.