title: Increased levels and adipose tissue expression of visfatin in morbidly obese women: the relationship with pro-inflammatory cytokines.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The controversial results on the physiopathological role of visfatin led us to examine both circulating visfatin levels and gene expression in visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous fat (SAT) in a homogeneous group of morbidly obese women.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed circulating levels of several adipo/cytokines in 133 Spanish women: 40 lean (C) [body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m(2) ] and 93 morbidly obese (MO) (BMI > 40 kg/m(2) ). In the MO group, we found 31 diabetic and 62 nondiabetic subjects. We obtained follow-up blood samples at 6 and 12 months after bariatric surgery from 30 MO patients. We determined the circulating levels of visfatin, adiponectin, interleukin-6 (IL6), C-reactive protein (CRP), resistin and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα) by ELISA, and visfatin, adiponectin, IL6, resistin and TNFα gene expression in SAT and VAT by real-time RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Circulating visfatin levels were higher in MO women compared with lean controls (C = 1·43 ± 0·14 μg/l, MO = 3·60 ± 0·29 μg/l, P < 0·001). After bariatric surgery-induced weight loss, visfatin levels were reduced significantly over 12 months. Visfatin expression in SAT and VAT was similar, but significantly higher in MO compared to C and independent of the presence of diabetes mellitus. Circulating visfatin levels were positively related to IL6 and CRP levels. Visfatin gene expression in VAT and SAT was strongly related to IL6 and TNFα expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a homogeneous cohort of morbidly obese women, our findings show that visfatin has a strong relationship with pro-inflammatory factors in severe obesity.
authors.affiliation: Grup de Recerca en Medicina Aplicada Hospital Joan XXIII, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, IISPV, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ximena
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Terra
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Auguet
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Quesada
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.forename: Mercé
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Fátima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sabench
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Porras
authors.forename: Salomé
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pellitero
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Llutart
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: del Castillo
authors.forename: Cristóbal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richart
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000378:metabolism*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase