Background and Objectives: Insulin resistance is a major contributor to the development of type 2 diabetes and can be assessed using indirect indicators calculated from non-invasive tests. Asprosin is a recently discovered adipokine with a postulated effect on glycemic regulation. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between serum asprosin levels and insulin resistance indices. The correlation between circulating asprosin and obesity indices was also investigated. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 non-diabetic patients with obesity and 50 healthy volunteers were studied. Laboratory data, including circulating asprosin and anthropometric data, were collected. The following insulin resistance indices were calculated: triglyceride–glucose index (TyG), TyG–neck circumference (TyG–NC), TyG–neck circumference to height ratio (TyG–NHtR), TyG–waist circumference (TyG–WC), TyG–waist to height ratio (TyG–WHtR), TyG–body mass index (TyG–BMI), and the ratio between triglycerides and high-density cholesterol (TG/HDLc). The obtained data were analyzed separately for males and females. Results: Asprosin concentrations were significantly higher in obese patients (p < 0.001). Asprosin concentrations positively correlated with body mass index (p < 0.001, r = 0.8 in females and r = 0.8 in males), waist circumference (p < 0.001, r = 0.73 in females and r = 0.81 in males), and all tested indices of insulin resistance. The strongest correlation was observed for TyG–BMI (p < 0.001, r = 0.78 in females and r = 0.81 in males). Circulating asprosin was higher in females (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Asprosin can be considered a marker of obesity and insulin resistance.

Proinflammatory cytokines are essential mediators and indicators of an inflammatory process occurring in the body. Their physiological role is to stimulate the immune response, yet their excessive propagation and interaction with cells outside the immune system may be linked to the risk of organ damage. This is specifically important in the case of immature tissues of fetuses and prematurely born infants. Analysis of the concentrations of specific cytokines in different compartments makes it possible to assess the risk of premature birth, preterm rupture of the membranes, and to determine an existing intrauterine infection. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the existing research concerning the relationships between the concentrations of specific proinflammatory cytokines in different compartments (maternal blood serum, amniotic fluid, umbilical cord blood, arterial and venous blood, and cerebrospinal fluid of the newborn) and the risk of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and the degree of its severity. The paper takes also into account the assessment of the usefulness of cytokines as biomarkers for IVH and its complications (posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus, white matter injury).

Introduction and objective: Wnt-1 signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP-1) and complement-C1q TNF-related protein 1 (CTRP1) are adipokines with possible opposite effects in regulating insulin sensitivity. The study investigated the correlation between circulating WISP-1 and CTRP1 in non-diabetic...

Background: Statins are the first-line treatment for dyslipidemia, which is a major modifiable risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown that in addition to the beneficial lipid-lowering effect, statins also exhibit a number of pleiotropic effects that may find application in other diseases, including osteoporosis. This study aimed to assess the effect of statins on bone turnover, as measured by the concentration of bone turnover markers, and to compare the effect of atorvastatin as a lipophilic statin and rosuvastatin as a hydrophilic statin. Methods: This study included 34 postmenopausal women aged < 65 years with newly diagnosed dyslipidemia requiring statin therapy. Patients were randomly assigned to receive a statin drug. Statins were initiated at standard doses of 5 to 10 mg of rosuvastatin and 20 mg of atorvastatin. The levels of C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen as a bone resorption marker and N-terminal propeptide of procollagen type I as a marker of bone formation, lipid concentrations and other biochemical parameters were assessed at baseline and after 6 and twelve months of treatment. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the levels of bone turnover markers before and 6 months after statin implementation ( P > .05) - for all patients or subgroups according to statin use. Analysis of the results showed that after 12 months, there was a statistically significant decrease in N-terminal propeptide of procollagen type I concentration in all subjects ( P = .004). By statin subgroup, a statistically significant decrease in N-terminal propeptide of procollagen type I was observed only in patients receiving rosuvastatin ( P = .012) and not in those receiving atorvastatin ( P = .25). Moreover, changes in bone turnover markers did not correlate with changes in lipid concentrations. Conclusions: These results may indicate the superiority of atorvastatin over rosuvastatin in inhibiting adverse changes in bone turnover in postmenopausal women. Confirmed by studies involving a larger population, the observed differences might find particular applications in clinical practice, and the choice of atorvastatin over rosuvastatin for women could be considered in the early postmenopausal period to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and subsequent osteoporotic fractures.