title: Serum adiponectin correlates with viral characteristics but not histologic features in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adiponectin induces insulin sensitivity and modulates inflammatory responses. We thus studied the implications of adiponectin in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection inherently linked to insulin resistance.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the association of serum adiponectin levels with clinical, virologic, and histologic findings in 95 naive Taiwanese patients with chronic hepatitis C before and after antiviral therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, 14 (15%) of the 95 patients were obese and 26 (27%) had type 2 diabetes mellitus. Fifty-seven patients were infected with HCV genotype 1 and 38 with genotype 2. Steatosis and periportal fibrosis was present in 44 (46%) and 69 (73%), respectively. In multivariate analysis, male gender, insulin resistance, high HCV load and genotype 2 were significantly associated with a lower serum adiponectin level. In contrast, intrahepatic gene expression of adiponectin receptors was higher in genotype 2 compared with genotype 1. Serum adiponectin level did not correlate with other clinical or histologic parameters. After treatment, change of steatosis also did not correlate with the change of adiponectin level (P=0.61).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adiponectin correlated with hepatitis C viral factors at both serum and liver tissue levels. The interactions among adiponectin, insulin resistance and chronic HCV infection merit further studies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chun-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Pei-Jer
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yung-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Jeng
authors.forename: Wen-Ling
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wei-Shiung
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ming-Yang
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Jia-Horng
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Ding-Shinn
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015922:Complement C1q / Q000378:metabolism*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: C475418:ADIPOR1 protein, human; C475420:ADIPOR2 protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D015922:Complement C1q