Association of adiponectin level with biochemical variables and insulin resistance in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in an Iranian population

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the most important chronic liver disorders worldwide. Adipokines are polypeptide hormones that participate in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Adiponectin is an adipokine that stimulates fatty acid oxidation in muscle and plays a role in the development of insulin sensitivity. This study aimed to investigate the association between plasma adiponectin and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Materials and methods: This case and control study was conducted on 80 non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients and 80 participants as control group. Plasma levels of adiponectin and insulin were measured by ELISA kit (Mercodia Company, Sweden) and other variables were determined by standard methods. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 19. Results: Plasma adiponectin was significantly lower in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients than control (p-value<0.001). Whereas, subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease had significantly higher levels of body mass index, serum transaminases, serum triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, serum insulin and insulin resistance compared to control group (p<0.01). An inverse correlation was observed between adiponectin with serum transaminases, triglycerides and insulin resistance (P<0.05), while it did not correlate with lipoproteins. Conclusion: The results indicate that adiponectin levels are reduced in individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Adiponectin levels are inversely correlated with liver transaminases and insulin resistance.