Abstract
BACKGROUND: Adiponectin is a key adipokine involved in glucose and lipid metabolism. Variants in the CDH13 gene have been consistently associated with circulating adiponectin levels. However, limited evidence is available regarding whether these associations differ according to glucose status. We examined the association between CDH13 rs12596316 and adiponectin levels across fasting blood glucose (FBS) categories in a Korean population. METHODS: A total of 4865 participants from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study were included. Linear regression under an additive genetic model was used to evaluate the association between rs12596316 and adiponectin levels. Logistic regression under a dominant model was used to assess the association with hypoadiponectinemia. Stratified analyses were performed according to BMI and FBS categories. RESULTS: CDH13 rs12596316 was strongly associated with adiponectin levels (β = -0.59, p = 3.30 × 10(-31)). Carriers of the TC/CC genotype had a 1.74-fold higher risk of hypoadiponectinemia compared with TT homozygotes after adjustment for age, sex, and BMI. In stratified analyses, the magnitude of association differed across FBS categories, with a stronger association observed in men with FBS ≥ 126 mg/dL (OR = 3.62, p = 0.009) compared with lower FBS groups. However, formal interaction analyses between genotype and fasting glucose categories were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: CDH13 rs12596316 is strongly associated with adiponectin levels in this Korean cohort. The strength of association varied across fasting glucose categories, suggesting that the observed association may differ across metabolic subgroups.