title: Increased serum resistin in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is related to liver disease severity and not to insulin resistance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The recently discovered hormone resistin is linked to the development of insulin resistance, but direct evidence of resistin levels in humans with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted this study to assess the relationship between serum resistin and NAFLD. We measured serum resistin and biochemical, hormonal, and histological correlates in 28 NAFLD patients, 33 controls, and 30 obese patients [body mass index (BMI), >30 kg/m2] without NAFLD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Resistin and adiponectin expression were measured in sc adipose tissue by quantitative RT-PCR. Resistin was higher in NAFLD patients compared with controls (5.87 +/- 0.49 vs. 4.30 +/- 0.20 ng/ml; P = 0.002) and obese patients (4.37 +/- 0.27 ng/ml; P = 0.002). Increased resistin mRNA was also found in the adipose tissue of NAFLD patients compared with controls and obese subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both NAFLD and obese patients had lower adiponectin levels, whereas leptin was increased only in the obese group. No correlation was found between resistin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, BMI, homeostasis model assessment, insulin, glucose, transaminases, and lipid values. A positive correlation was found between resistin and histological inflammatory score. These data report increased resistin in NAFLD patients that is related to the histological severity of the disease, but do not support a link between resistin and insulin resistance or BMI in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Ospedale 105, 35100 Padova, Italy. claudio.pagano@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soardo
authors.forename: Catia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pilon
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Milocco
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Basan
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Milan
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Donnini
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Faggian
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mussap
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Plebani
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Avellini
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Federspil
authors.forename: Leonardo A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sechi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vettor
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood; D012016:Reference Values; D052243:Resistin / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D020738:Leptin; D008055:Lipids; D052243:Resistin