title: Plasma visfatin levels and gene expression in morbidly obese women with associated fatty liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The few studies on the physiopathological role of visfatin in morbid obesity and the related metabolic diseases have led us to examine visfatin levels and its liver gene expression in morbidly obese women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the circulating levels of visfatin by ELISA in serum samples from 95 morbidly obese women (MO) (BMI>40 kg/m(2)) who underwent bariatric surgery and 38 normal weight control women (BMI<25 kg/m(2)). We analysed visfatin liver and adipose tissue mRNA expression by RT-PCR. We evaluated the circulating levels and gene expression of adiponectin, resistin, RBP4, TNFα, IL6 and CRP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum visfatin was significantly higher in MO compared with controls, and also in MO with NAFLD was significantly higher than MO with normal liver. We found that NAFLD diabetic patients presented similar serum visfatin levels than non-diabetic. Serum visfatin correlated with IL6 (r=0.496; p<0.001) and CRP levels (r=0.241; p=0.049). Liver visfatin expression was significantly higher in MO compared to controls and was also significantly higher in MO with NAFLD than in MO with normal liver. Visfatin liver expression correlated positively with resistin (r=0.436, p=0.018) and TNFα expression (r=0.328, p=0.028). Visfatin expression in adipose tissues was similar among the MO groups analysed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum visfatin and its liver expression are higher in MO women with NAFLD, irrespective of the presence of diabetes. Serum visfatin and its liver expression correlate positively with pro-inflammatory factors. These findings suggest that visfatin may be a molecule related with fat inflammation in morbid obesity and fatty liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Grup de Recerca en Medicina Aplicada, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), IISPV, Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Auguet
authors.forename: Ximena
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Terra
authors.forename: Jose Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Porras
authors.forename: Josep Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Orellana-Gavaldà
authors.forename: Salomé
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pellitero
authors.forename: Mercé
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Del Castillo
authors.forename: Cristóbal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richart
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines / Q000097:blood; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000379:methods; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D052243:Resistin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D054392:Adipokines; D052242:Adiponectin; D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; C101326:RBP4 protein, human; C499624:RETN protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D052243:Resistin; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; C439524:TNF protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; C085455:nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, human