title: Plasma visfatin levels in preeclamptic and normal pregnancies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increasing evidences support the participation of adipokines in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE). Visfatin is a novel adipokine secreted by fat tissue and macrophages and is involved in the regulation of glucose homeostasis. Our aim is to investigate visfatin levels in women with PE, women with the third trimester of normal pregnancy and healthy non-pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 32 preeclamptic patients who received antenatal and obstetric care at Perinatology Clinic. A total of 32 pregnant women with normal ongoing pregnancies and 32 non-pregnant women were taken as the control groups. Plasma levels of visfatin were quantified by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma levels of visfatin were 63.8 +/- 4.9 ng/ml in women with PE, 43.6 +/- 7.8 ng/ml in pregnant control and 31.6 +/- 4.2 ng/ml in the non-pregnant control, respectively (P < 0.001). Visfatin level was significantly higher in PE compared with non-pregnant control (P < 0.001) and pregnant control (P < 0.001); also, plasma level of visfatin was significantly higher in severe PE (75.3 +/- 4.6 ng/ml) than mild PE (41.8 +/- 5.2 ng/ml) (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study indicate that women with PE had significantly increased visfatin concentrations in the third trimester. Furthermore, visfatin levels were significantly higher in severe PE group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ankara Dr Zekai Tahir Burak Women Health Teaching and Research Hospital, 7.Cadde 70 A/14, 06490, Bahcelievler, Ankara, Turkey. zebru33@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zulfikaroglu
authors.forename: Ferruh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Isman
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Payasli
authors.forename: Sevtap
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Mine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kucur
authors.forename: Nuri
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Danisman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000097:blood*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase