Serum adiponectin correlates with viral characteristics but not histologic features in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
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.
Liu
Chun-Jen
CJ
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
Chen
Pei-Jer
PJ
Jeng
Yung-Ming
YM
Huang
Wen-Ling
WL
Yang
Wei-Shiung
WS
Lai
Ming-Yang
MY
Kao
Jia-Horng
JH
Chen
Ding-Shinn
DS
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
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