title: Visfatin serum levels are increased in women with preeclampsia: a case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Visfatin has been implicated in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia with limited and contradictory, however, results. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential association between visfatin serum concentration and preeclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Visfatin was determined in the serum of 38 women with preeclampsia and 38 women with uncomplicated pregnancies, matched for age and gestational age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Similar baseline characteristics were present between the two groups in terms of age, body mass index, parity and gravidity. Serum visfatin was significantly increased in the preeclamptic women (median=10.3 ng/mL; interquartile range [IQR] =20) as opposed to their matched controls (median=2.6 ng/mL; IQR=1.4) (p<0.001). Univariate analysis revealed a strong linear correlation of visfatin levels with systolic (r=0.505, p<0.001), diastolic (r=0.467, p<0.001) and mean arterial blood pressure (r=0.497, p<0.001), as well as with uric acid concentrations in the serum (r=0.463, p<0.001). A receiver operating characteristics curve analysis illustrated that serum visfatin concentration is helpful in discriminating between preeclamptic or nonpreeclamptic women with an area under the curve of 0.887 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.794-0.948; p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Visfatin serum concentration seems to be increased in preeclampsia as compared with uncomplicated pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. eugeniazorba@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zorba
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vavilis
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Venetis
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zournatzi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kellartzis
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Tarlatzis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000097:blood*; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D015854:Up-Regulation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; C085455:nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, human