Hepatic expression of ghrelin and adiponectin and their receptors in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
OBJECTIVE
Adiponectin and ghrelin are hormones that participate in hepatic lipid metabolism, and their expression in liver tissue could have important implications for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the hepatic expression of ghrelin, adiponectin, AdipoR, and IL-6 in patients with NAFLD and normal liver.


METHODS
We studied patients with clinical-pathological diagnosis of NAFLD or a normal liver. Patients were classified according to their diagnosis into three groups: normal liver, nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Adiponectin, AdipoR1, AdipoR2, IL-6, and ghrelin mRNA levels were assessed in biopsies by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
Of the 21 patients, three had a normal liver biopsy, 14 had nonalcoholic steatosis, and four had NASH. Patients with NAFLD exhibited significantly higher HOMA-IR and triglyceride concentration (both P<0.05). There was a nonsignificant trend towards higher ghrelin expression in patients with NASH > nonalcoholic steatosis > normal liver. Patients with NASH had significantly higher mRNA adiponectin levels and lower IL-6 levels than did those with a normal liver (P<0.05). AdipoR expression did not differ significantly between groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Adiponectin overexpression was observed in patients with NASH. The role of hepatic ghrelin in NAFLD requires further research.
Uribe
Misael
M
Liver Unit, Biomedical Research Department, Medica Sur Clinic & Foundation, Mexico City, Mexico.
Zamora-Valdés
Daniel
D
Moreno-Portillo
Mucio
M
Bermejo-Martínez
Luisa
L
Pichardo-Bahena
Raúl
R
Baptista-González
Héctor A
HA
Ponciano-Rodríguez
Guadalupe
G
Uribe
Martha H
MH
Medina-Santillán
Roberto
R
Méndez-Sánchez
Nahum
N
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000235:genetics; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin / Q000235:genetics*; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin / Q000235:genetics*
C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; C475418:ADIPOR1 protein, human; C475420:ADIPOR2 protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D054439:Ghrelin; D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin