title: Adipokines in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: Since the discovery of adipose tissue as a higly active endocrine tissue, adipokines, peptides produced by adipose tissue and exerting autocrine, paracrine and endocrine function, have gained increasing interest in various obesity-related diseases, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Data regarding the association between NAFLD and circulating leptin and adiponectin levels are generally well documented: leptin levels increase, whereas adiponectin levels decrease, by increasing the severity of NAFLD. Data regarding other adipokines in histologically confirmed NAFLD populations are inconclusive (e.g., resistin, visfatin, retinol-binding protein-4, chemerin) or limited (e.g., adipsin, obestatin, omentin, vaspin etc.). This review summarizes evidence on the association between adipokines and NAFLD. The first part of the review provides general consideration on the interplay between adipokines and NAFLD, and the second part provides evidence on specific adipokines possibly involved in NAFLD pathogenesis. A thorough insight into the pathophysiologic mechanisms linking adipokines with NAFLD may result in the design of studies investigating the combined adipokine use as noninvasive diagnostic markers of NAFLD and new clinical trials targeting the treatment of NAFLD.
authors.affiliation: Second Medical Clinic, Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Ippokration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: stergios@endo.gr.
authors.forename: Stergios A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Polyzos
authors.affiliation: Second Medical Clinic, Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Ippokration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Jannis
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kountouras
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Section of Endocrinology, Boston VA Healthcare System, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Christos S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Mantzoros
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D052243:Resistin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D020738:Leptin; D052243:Resistin
keywords: Adipokines; Adiponectin; Leptin; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; Resistin