Serum visfatin in relation to visceral fat, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Asian Indians

• Published in: Metabolism, clinical and experimental clinical and experimental, 2007-04, Vol.56 (4), p.565-570
• Main Authors: Sandeep, Sreedharan, Velmurugan, Kaliyaperumal, Deepa, Raj, Mohan, Viswanathan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Body Mass Index; Case-Control Studies; Cytokines - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - diagnostic imaging; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinology & Metabolism; Endocrinopathies; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Female; Humans; India; Intra-Abdominal Fat - diagnostic imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Middle Aged; Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; Obesity; Obesity - blood; Obesity - complications; Obesity - diagnostic imaging; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• ISSN: 0026-0495; 1532-8600
• DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2006.12.005

Abstract To investigate the role of the novel adipokine visfatin in type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity and to examine its association with visceral and subcutaneous fat in Asian Indians, who have increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease, 150 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (75 men, 75 women) and 150 age- and sex-matched subjects with normal glucose tolerance were recruited from the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study, a population-based study done in Chennai, southern India. Anthropometric and biochemical measurements were done by using standardized techniques. Fasting serum visfatin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Visceral and subcutaneous fat were measured by computerized tomography in a subset of 130 individuals. Serum visfatin levels were significantly higher in diabetic subjects compared with nondiabetic subjects (11.4 ± 5.9 vs 9.8 ± 4.3 ng/mL, P = .008). However, this association was lost when adjusted for body mass index (odds ratio [OR], 1.048; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.997-1.101; P = .067) or waist circumference (OR, 1.050; 95% CI, 0.999-1.104; P = .057). Serum visfatin showed a significant association with obesity even after adjusting for age, sex, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (OR, 1.060; 95% CI, 1.005-1.119; P = .033). Visceral fat, but not subcutaneous fat, was significantly associated with serum visfatin levels even after adjusting for age, sex, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and body mass index ( P = .002). In Asian Indians, serum visfatin levels are associated with obesity and visceral fat but not with subcutaneous fat. Although visfatin levels are increased in type 2 diabetes mellitus, the association seems to be primarily through obesity.