title: Serum concentration of visfatin is decreased in patients with chronic heart failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is an increasing interest in the role of adipocytokines in cardiovascular pathophysiology.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to compare visfatin levels, a novel adipokine, in patients with heart failure (HF) due to the left ventricular systolic dysfunction with those in age- and body mass index (BMI) - matched healthy controls in relation to the parameters of glucose metabolism and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 28 males with systolic HF referred for cardiopulmonary exercise testing, divided into two subgroups based on their NYHA class (HF patients NYHA(I+II), n=17, and HF patients NYHA(III+IV,) n=11), and 23 controls. The following indices were measured in a serum samples: visfatin, hsCRP, glucose and lipid metabolism parameters, and the insulin resistance index HOMA(IR) (homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance) was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Concentrations of visfatin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) in the HF subjects were significantly lower (p≤0.01) than in controls. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed significant differences between three groups (controls and both subgroups of heart failure patients) in mean levels of visfatin, hsCRP, glucose, HOMA(IR) and HDL-cholesterol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum visfatin concentrations in patients with systolic HF, particularly with more advanced NYHA classes, are significantly lower in comparison to healthy controls and are independent of age or anthropometric and metabolic parameters.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Cardiology, Poznań, University of Medical Sciences, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Straburzyńska-Migaj
authors.forename: Lucja
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pilaczyńska-Szcześniak
authors.forename: Alicja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Straburzyńska-Lupa
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sliwicka
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grajek
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001786:Blood Glucose; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D054143:Heart Failure, Systolic / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000097:blood*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase