As
reported in the March 2008 American Journal of Gastroenterology, Greek
researchers performed a study with the following objectives:
•
To compare serum adiponectin and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha levels among
patients with viral liver diseases.
•
To investigate associations of serum adiponectin and TNF-alpha with histological
or viral characteristics in patients with chronic hepatitis C;
•
To investigate adiponectin and TNF-alpha alterations during interferon alpha treatment;
•
To assess the relationship between serum adiponectin and TNF-alpha and response
rates to treatment.
Adiponectin
is a hormone produces by adipose tissue (fat cells) that plays a role in regulating
processing of glucose and fatty acids. A low level is associated with various
metabolic abnormalities.
The study included 83 chronic
hepatitis C patients, 59 chronic hepatitis B
patients, and 43 blood donors who served as healthy, uninfected controls.
Participants with hepatitis B were treated with 4.5 MU thrice-weekly interferon
alpha for 12 months. Those with hepatitis C received 3 MU thrice-weekly interferon
alpha plus ribavirin for 6 or 12 months, depending on HCV genotype. Adiponectin
and TNF-alpha levels were measured before, at the middle point, at the end, and
6 months after completion of treatment.
Results
•
After adjusting for sex and body mass index (BMI), overweight patients (BMI >
25 kg/m2) with HCV genotype 3 had significantly lower adiponectin levels at baseline
(median 7.3 mcg/mL) than overweight patients with other genotypes (P < 0.05).
•
Lower adiponectin (P= 0.02 for genotype 3, P= 0.025 for genotype 1) and higher
TNF-alpha levels (P= 0.025) at baseline were independent predictors of liver
steatosis in hepatitis C patients.
•
Lower adiponectin was an independent predictor of lack of virological response
at the end of interferon/ribavirin treatment
(OR 0.76; P < 0.001).
•
At the end of therapy, only HCV genotype 3 patients had significantly higher serum
adiponectin (10.4 mcg/mL) compared with the pre-treatment level (8.7 mcg/mL; P
< 0.05).
Conclusion
"This
study suggests that HCV genotype 3 may directly affect adiponectin," the
researchers concluded. "This is further supported by the significant increase
in adiponectin at the end of treatment only in HCV
genotype 3 patients."
They added that, "Serum adiponectin
at baseline appears to be an independent predictor of liver steatosis and for
the achievement of end-of-treatment virological response, while serum TNF-alpha
at baseline was identified as an independent predictor only of liver steatosis."
3/21/08
Reference TA
Zografos, C Liaskos, EI Rigopoulou, and others. Adiponectin: A New Independent
Predictor of Liver Steatosis and Response to IFN-alpha Treatment in Chronic Hepatitis
C. American Journal of Gastroenterology 103(3): 605-614. March 2008.
Results
