Adiponectin plasma levels decrease after surgery in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease

Objective: Adiponectin is a protein secreted by adipose tissue and involved in inflammatory process as well as in metabolic regulation. The aim of this study was to examine the response of plasma adiponectin to cardiac surgery in children with congenital defects to determine whether its measurement is associated to the response to injury. Design and methods: Twenty-five pediatric patients undergoing heart surgery for correction of congenital defects were studied. Adiponectin plasma levels, obtained pre- and three times postoperatively, were determined by dedicated ELISA. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) plasma levels were also determined. Results: Adiponectin levels are highest in the first month of life (p = 0.004 newborns vs. children) with a progressive fall in the next few years. After surgery, adiponectin increased slowly over a 1-month period, following an initial decrease in the first 3 days. Conclusions: Adiponectin could be involved in the acute response to injury although further investigation into the relationship between adiponectin, glucose regulation and inflammatory process is necessary to examine the issue of the adiponectin decrease after surgery from a more integrated prospective. (C) 2012 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.