Relationship between serum adiponectin concentration, pulse wave velocity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to investigate the relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), serum adiponectin concentration and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) as a risk marker for atherosclerosis.


METHODS
A total of 213 nonalcoholic subjects (67 males, 146 females) participated in this study. Division of subjects into the NAFLD group or the normal group was based on the existence of fatty liver detected by sonography.


RESULTS
Serum adiponectin levels in the NAFLD group were significantly lower than those in the normal group. After adjusting for age, body-mass index (BMI) and the homeostasis model of assessment (HOMA), there was a significant negative correlation between NAFLD and serum adiponectin level only in females (r = -0.22, P = 0.008). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a tendency of inverse correlation between NAFLD and serum adiponectin level in females (P = 0.055). After adjustment for age, BMI and HOMA value, serum adiponectin levels were inversely correlated with serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) levels (r = -0.199 (P = 0.004) and r = -0.282 (P < 0.001)). On the other hand, baPWV in the NAFLD group was also significantly higher than that in the normal group in females (P = 0.005). Individual levels of serum ALT, aspatate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and GGT were positively correlated with baPWV after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, HOMA and systolic blood pressure (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Serum adiponectin level and baPWV were significantly associated with NAFLD and various liver enzymes, especially in females.
Kim
S G
SG
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.
Kim
H Y
HY
Seo
J A
JA
Lee
K W
KW
Oh
J H
JH
Kim
N H
NH
Choi
K M
KM
Baik
S H
SH
Choi
D S
DS
D052242:Adiponectin; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D012307:Risk Factors; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000410:Alanine Transaminase