Serum resistin levels in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and their relationship to severity of liver disease

Abstract

Background: Resistin is a hormone that is linked to the development of insulin resistance (IR); but information on the direct relationship of resistin levels in humans with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); and their effect on the histological severity of NAFLD; is lacking. Objective: The aim of the current study is to determine the circulating resistin levels obtained from patients with NAFLD and to correlate them with insulin resistance and hepatic histological features. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 30 consecutive patients with liver-biopsy-proven NAFLD and 30 subjects as controls. Serum resistin levels were measured. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated for all subjects; and serum insulin; C-peptide; and lipoprotein levels were also measured. Results: Mean serum resistin level and BMI in the NAFLD group were significantly higher than in the controls (both P 0.001). Both men and women in the NAFLD group had higher mean serum resistin levels than did the men and women in the control group (all P 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that the percentage of hepatic steatosis; sex; BMI; and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA(IR)] were related to serum resistin levels. Conclusion: These data suggest increased resistin levels in NAFLD patients which are related to histological severity of the disease. These findings support the link between resistin; insulin resistance and BMI in these patients