title: High serum resistin in chronic viral hepatitis is not a marker of metabolic disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The role of resistin, an adipocyte-secreted hormone, in insulin resistance and in inflammation is controversial. In chronic hepatitis C, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and liver steatosis are frequent and inconsistently correlated to circulating resistin levels. In this study we assessed if viral aetiology and host metabolic parameters influence serum resistin in patients with HCV- and HBV- related chronic hepatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum resistin was measured by ELISA and correlated to viral aetiology, age, gender, BMI, HOMA-IR, liver steatosis, hepatitis staging and grading, blood glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol in 43 patients with chronic hepatitis C, in 16 with chronic hepatitis B and in 29 healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both groups of patients resistin was significantly higher than in controls, with higher values in HBV- than in HCV-patients (p = 0.0007). Resistin levels were correlated to aetiology and, inversely, to age (p = 0.026), diabetes (p = 0.036) and steatosis (p = 0.029). Multiple regression analysis showed that resistin concentration was dependent only on the aetiology of liver disease (p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In chronic viral hepatitis serum resistin levels are high and not associated with altered metabolic parameters or with the histological activity of the disease. The meaning of higher resistin in HBV- than in HCV- chronic hepatitis is unclear.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, UOC di Medicina interna ad indirizzo gastroenterologico, Pad. C, 2o piano, AOU Policlinico Universitario, Via Consolare Valeria, 1 - 98125 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morace
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spadaro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cucunato
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tortorella
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Consolo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luigiano
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stabile
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bonfiglio
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bellerone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fortiguerra
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alibrandi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crinò
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carducci
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Resta
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ferraù
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Freni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D052243:Resistin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C499624:RETN protein, human; D052243:Resistin