title: Visfatin levels in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently, role of adipokin in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been suggested. Among adipokins, role of leptin and adiponectin is rather well known; however, there are only a few data concerning visfatin.
  
  
  METHODS
  NAFLD is confirmed in 30 patients by ultrasonography. As a control group, patients without fatty liver or other liver diseases were included. Viral hepatitis, metabolic liver diseases, and autoimmune hepatitis and consumption of alcohol were excluded in all patients. Fasting serum level of visfatin was determined by ELISA method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum visfatin concentration in the NAFLD group (14.7 ± 8.1 ng/ml) was significantly higher than in controls (9.4 ± 1.6 ng/ml) (P < 0.001). There were no correlations between visfatin and anthropometric parameters, transaminases, lipids, and homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum visfatin concentration increases in patients with NAFLD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. drerdemakbal@gmail.com
authors.forename: Erdem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akbal
authors.forename: Erdem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koçak
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taş
authors.forename: Enver
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yüksel
authors.forename: Seyfettin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Köklü
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003710:Demography; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000097:blood*; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
chemical_list: D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase