Adipokines, metabolic dysfunction and illness course in bipolar disorder

Abstract Replicated evidence indicates that individuals with BD are differentially affected by metabolic comorbidities and that its occurrence is a critical mediator and/or moderator of BD outcomes. This study aimed to explore the role of adipokines on bipolar disorder (BD) course and its relationship with metabolic comorbidities (i.e. type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity). We measured plasma levels of adiponectin and leptin, as well as anthropometric and metabolic parameters of 59 patients with BD and 28 healthy volunteers. Our results showed that, in female participants, adiponectin was lower in individuals with BD, relative to healthy controls (p = 0.017). In the BD population, adiponectin levels were correlated with fasting glucose (r = −0.291, p = 0.047), fasting insulin (r = −0.332, p = 0.023), C-peptide (r = 0.040, p = 0.040), homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (r = −0.411, p = 0.004), HDL (r = 0.508, p