Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care
Assessment of nutritional status and analytical methods
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece
Correspondence to Labros S. Sidossis, PhD, Laboratory of Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, 70 El. Venizelou Avenue, 17671 Athens, Greece Tel: +30 210 95 49 154; fax: +30 210 95 49 141; e-mail: [email protected]
Abstract
Purpose of review
Adiponectin has potent antidiabetic and antiatherosclerotic actions. Recent studies in animals and humans suggest that the high-molecular weight adiponectin complex, consisting of many adiponectin monomers, is the biologically active form of the peptide. This article will present recent methodological approaches for analyzing adiponectin isoform distribution.
Recent findings
A handful of methods have been used for the isolation and measurement of high-molecular weight adiponectin, based on velocity gradient centrifugation, gel filtration chromatography and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Recently, two novel sandwich enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assays have been developed. The first makes use of antibodies raised against human high-molecular weight adiponectin and thus allows for the specific determination of high-molecular weight adiponectin in plasma. The second and more versatile enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay system enables the measurement of all adiponectin isoforms (i.e. low, middle and high-molecular weight) by means of selective digestion by proteases.
Summary
The development and commercial availability of novel enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay kits enables the easy and rapid measurement of high-molecular weight adiponectin in both research and clinical practice and will undoubtedly advance further our understanding of the role of adiponectin in health and disease.