[The perspectives of application of retinol-binding protein as a biomarker of risk of cardiovascular pathology]

Abstract

The fatty tissue is an endocrine organ secreting biologically active factors called adipokines that have systemic and local features. The adipokines play an important role in development of complications caused by obesity. nowadays, retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), one of adipokines identified recently, is considered as a connecting link between obesity and its complications. Adipokine participates in development of resistance to insulin and correlated with cardio-metabolic markers at chronic inflammatory diseases, including diabetes mellitus type II, metabolic syndrome and cardio-vascular diseases. It is considered that inflammation, produced by RBP4, induces resistance to insulin and cardio-vascular diseases. It seems that RBP4 is an adipokine that both induces resistance to insulin and participates in pathogenesis of other metabolic complications of obesity. This is confirmed by a tight relationship between RBP4 and atherogenic lipoproteins, atherosclerotic affection of vessels and cardio-vascular diseases. However, an important restriction in certain studies related to RBP4 is that they included patients who received medicinal therapy (sugar lowering and hypo-lipidemic pharmaceuticals) or had renal and hepatic insufficiency. The mentioned factors impact concentration of RBP4 in blood and hence can distort the results. In spite of that, the established potential metabolic role of RBP4 requires a further investigation. Besides further carefully planned studies are required focusing on establishing is RBP4 a molecular participator of molecular alterations or it is only a dynamically volatile "witness". The present review summarizes actual knowledge concerning the role of RBP4 under obesity, in development of dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and cardio-vascular diseases. The purpose of the study is to summarize data of studying of inflammatory and immune effects of RBP4 especially in case of cardio-vascular diseases and also establishment of perspective of applying retinol-binding protein as a potential biomarker of cardiovascular risk.

Keywords: cardio-vascular diseases; insulin resistance; obesity; retinol-binding protein.