Plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is associated with plasma leptin, irrespective of body mass index, body fat mass, and plasma insulin and metabolic parameters in premenopausal women.

Leptin, the satiety hormone expressed almost exclusively in adipose tissue, is a marker of body fat accumulation in humans. Recent studies have shown that plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), a prothrombotic factor associated with atherosclerosis complications, is also produced in adipose tissue. The objective of the present study was to determine whether PAI-1 antigen plasma concentrations are associated with leptin plasma levels or the body fat mass (FM) independently of the variables known to influence PAI-1 production. Sixty-one nondiabetic women aged 18 to 45 years with a wide range of values for the body mass index ([BMI] 18.1 to 37.7 kg/m2) were evaluated for (1) body FM and fasting plasma levels of (2) PAI-1 antigen, (3) PAI-1 activity, (4) leptin, (5) insulin, (6) blood glucose, and (7) lipids (cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein [HDL]-cholesterol, and triglycerides [TG]). Body FM and fat-free mass (FFM) were estimated during fasting conditions by the bioimpedance analysis (BIA) method using a tetrapolar device. Body fat distribution was evaluated by the waist circumference and the waist to hip ratio (WHR). FM was directly associated with both PAI-1 antigen (r = .585, P < .001) and PAI-1 activity (r = .339, P < .001). Seemingly, leptin was positively related to both PAI-1 antigen (r = .630, P < .001) and PAI-1 activity (r = .497, P < .001). Moreover, both PAI-I antigen and PAI-1 activity were directly correlated with FFM (r = .285, P < .05, and r = .336, P < .01, respectively), BMI (r = .594, P < .001, and r = .458, P < .001, respectively), and WHR (r = .510, P < .001, and r = .391, P < .005, respectively). Insulin was directly related to PAI-1 antigen (r = .540, P < .001), PAI-1 activity (r = .259, P < .05), leptin (r = .447, P < .001), and FM (r = .435, P < .001). The association between PAI-1 antigen (dependent variable) and leptin or FM was tested by a stepwise regression model simultaneously including leptin, FM, BMI, WHR, age, FFM, and fasting insulin, blood glucose, TG, cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol as independent variables. PAI-1 antigen maintained a significant positive independent relationship only with leptin (t = 2.923, P < .01), insulin (t = 3.489, P < .001), and fasting blood glucose (t = 2.092, P < .05), and a negative independent relationship with HDL-cholesterol (t = -2.634, P < .05). In conclusion, the strong relationship between PAI-1 antigen and leptin irrespective of other variables known to influence these factors seems to indicate that leptin per se may potentially increase PAI-1 plasma concentrations in obese subject