Lipid Profiles and Serum Visfatin Concentrations in Patients with Type II Diabetes in Comparison with Healthy Controls

Background: visfatin is a new adipocytokine which is largelysecreted by visceral adipose tissue and its effects in the developmentof diabetes and inflammatory reactions are similar to insulin. it actssynergistically with insulin in increasing glucose cellular uptake,stimulating glucose transfer to the muscle and adipose tissue, as wellas in preventing hepatic glucose production. its insulin-like effectsare mediated through direct connection and activation of insulinreceptors without any change or competition with the insulin.methods: this case-control study was conducted among 64 womenconsisting of 32 diabetic patients, and 32 age-matched healthycontrols. the case group consisted of 32 post-menopausal diabeticwomen, aged 45-65 years. those patients were eligible who hada history of at least five years of type ii diabetes, without anycomplications of diabetes, and who were treated only by oralglucose-lowering medications. those individuals with c-reactiveprotein (crp) test of 3+ and above were excluded from the study.results were compared with age- and sex- matched controls.results: average visfatin level was significantly higher in diabeticpatients than in controls (4.3 ± 1.06ng/dl vs. 3.15 ± 0.74ng/dl,respectively < 0.001).the mean values of anthropometric indexes and lipid profile werenot significantly different between diabetic patients and controls.conclusion: this study documented an inverse relationshipbetween circulating level of visfatin and fasting blood glucose. thisfinding may suggest the role of increased visfatin level and increasein synthesis and secretion of the cytokines from adipocytes. thesefindings may be useful for primary and secondary preventive issuesin diabetic and pre-diabetic individuals.