[The relationship between serum adiponectin level and serum alanine aminotransferase elevation in Korean male with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease].
OBJECTIVE
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) comprises a large part of chronic liver diseases. Recently it was reported that adipokines are closely associated with the common risk factors for NAFLD, such as obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. We aimed to evaluate the changes in serum adiponectin, resistin and leptin concentrations related to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations in Korean men with NAFLD.


METHODS
We studies 38 men who were diagnosed with fatty liver by abdominal ultrasonography. None had a history of excessive alcohol consumption, autoimmune hepatitis, inherited or metabolic liver disease or viral hepatitis. The subjects were divided into two groups. One group had normal levels of ALT (n=28) and the other had increased ALT (n=10). We compared anthropometrical parameters, biochemical items and serum adipokine levels between these two groups.


RESULTS
Serum adiponectin levels were lower in the increased ALT group than in the normal ALT group (3.89 +/- 1.77 vs 7.01 +/- 2.54 microgram/dL, P=0.001). But there were no significant differences in serum leptin and resistin levels between two groups (4.02 +/- 2.04 vs 3.26 +/- 1.41 ng/mL, p=0.245, 80.14 +/- 14.8 vs 80.5 +/- 11.34 ng/mL, P=0.937, respectively). Multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated that the serum adiponectin level is inversely correlated with serum ALT level and that the serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level is positively correlated with the serum ALT level.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study shows that hypoadiponectinemia is associated with an ALT elevation in patients with NAFLD. Adiponectin may play an indirect role in the development of NAFLD.
Lee
Yong Su
YS
Department of Internal Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Cho
Yong Kyun
YK
Pae
Ji Cheul
JC
Oh
Se Yong
SY
Kang
Mun Su
MS
Park
Jung Ho
JH
Kim
Hong Joo
HJ
Park
Dong Il
DI
Sohn
Chong Il
CI
Jeon
Woo Kyu
WK
Kim
Byung Ik
BI
Lee
Won Young
WY
Oh
Ki Won
KW
Yun
Eun Joo
EJ
Oh
Eun Sook
ES
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052243:Resistin / Q000097:blood
D052242:Adiponectin; D020738:Leptin; D052243:Resistin; D000410:Alanine Transaminase