Background: Since the rise in plasma adiponectin levels in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients has not yet been elucidated, we sought to investigate if patients on hemodialysis (HD) have altered expression of adiponectin receptors in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) compared to healthy subjects.

Methods: This study included 31 patients with chronic kidney disease on HD and 33 healthy subjects (CG). Circulating adiponectin levels were measured by ELISA while AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 mRNA levels in PBMCs were determined by real-time PCR.

Results: Plasma adiponectin levels were significantly higher in patients compared to control group (P=0.036). After adjustment for age, BMI and creatinine, this difference became even more significant (P=0.004). In both groups adiponectin correlated with creatinine (CG: r=−0.472, P=0.006; HD: r=−0.375, P=0.038), triglycerides (CG: r=−0.490, P=0.004; HD: r=−0.488, P=0.005), insulin (CG: r=−0.386, P=0.038; HD: r=−0.506, P=0.012) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (CG: r=−0.672, P<0.001; HD: r=−0.584, P=0.001). Significantly lower expression of PBMCs AdipoR1 mRNA was found in patients compared to CG (P=0.034), while AdipoR2 mRNA levels were similarly expressed in PBMCs in both groups.

Conclusions: Complex pathological processes in CKD cause downregulation of AdipoR1 which could ultimately influence AdipoR1 protein levels leading to a state of »adiponectin resistance«.