Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 7, 2005; 11(37): 5874-5877
Published online Oct 7, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i37.5874
Is adiponectin level a predictor of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in nondiabetic male patients?
Haluk Sargin, Mehmet Sargin, Hülya Gozu, Asuman Orcun, Gülcan Baloglu, Murat Ozisik, Mesut Seker, Oya Uygur-Bayramicli
Haluk Sargin, Mehmet Sargin, Hülya Gozu, Asuman Orcun, Gülcan Baloglu, Murat Ozisik, Mesut Seker, Oya Uygur-Bayramicli, Departments of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Biochemistry, Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Kartal Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Mehmet Sargin, Çakmak Mah. Soyak Yenisehir Palmiye Sitesi A-3 Blok Da: 20 Ümraniye, Istanbul, Turkey. sarginm@yahoo.com
Telephone: +90-216-3687811 Fax: +90-216-3684895
Received: November 15, 2004
Revised: February 13, 2005
Accepted: February 18, 2005
Published online: October 7, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To study the levels of adiponectin in nondiabetic patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in comparison with control group.

METHODS: Thirty-five patients who had elevated serum aminotransferase levels with bright liver and 34 healthy volunteers without liver disease were evaluated. Age, gender and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, adiponectin, proinsulin and lipid profile were measured. A standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with insulin response was performed and the index of insulin resistance was calculated according to the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) method.

RESULTS: According to the OGTT results, none of the participants had diabetes. Serum adiponectin levels were statistically significantly lower in patients with NAFLD than in control group (8.14±3.4 mg/mL vs 12.4 ± 9.4 mg/mL, respectively, P < 0.01). A statistically significant correlation was found between adiponectin and BMI (r : -0.33, P < 0.01), HOMA (r : -0.26, P < 0.05), proinsulin (r : -0.32, P < 0.01), AST (r : -0.25, P < 0.05), ALT (r : -0.26, P < 0.05) or GGT (r : -0.22, P < 0.05). In multiple regression analysis models, adiponectin levels were the only predictor of NAFLD in males, whereas in female group it was the BMI.

CONCLUSION: Low adiponectin level might be a predictor of NAFLD especially in male nondiabetics.

Keywords: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Adiponectin; Gender