Serum Visfatin in Relation to Some Parameters of Iron Metabolism in Egyptian Subjects with Altered Glucose Tolerance

1Visfatin is an adipokine mainly synthesized and secreted in visceral fat. Visfatin was found to have important proinflammatory and immunomodulating properties. The aim of the present work was to clarify the relation between plasma visfatin, some parameters of iron metabolism and insulin resistance in altered glucose tolerance patients and its relation to obesity.Eighty subjects were included in this study; 60 diabetic patients, and 20 healthy subjects, sex and age matched, used as controls (Gr.I). The patients were divided into: Gr. II impaired glucose tolerance (IGT); Gr. III (type I); Gr. IVa (obese type II) and Gr.IVb( non obese type II). The following biochemical parameters were estimated in this study: serum visfatin, plasma fasting and postprandial glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), serum insulin, HOMA, HOMA, QUICKI, serum total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triacylglycerols (TGs),as well as serum ferritin, sTFR and TNF-.Results indicated a significant positive correlation between serum visfatin and each of FPG (in IGT patients) and serum ferritin (in type I), but it was correlated negatively with sTFR/log ferritin (in type I) and serum sTFR (in obese type II diabetics). Serum ferritin level showed a significant positive correlation with BMI, waist to hipratio, HDL-C (in non obese type II), and with TNF- (in type Idiabetics). No correlation was detected between ferritin and HOMA all patients. As a conclusion, serum visfatin was correlated to some parameters of iron metabolism in type I and in obese type II diabetics. Visfatin was also correlated with FPG in IGT group, its increase may be due to hyperglycemia itself and at the same time it may induce progression of inflammatory condition. This study did not show an association of serum visfatin with insulin resistance or obesity.This as adapted from Ph.D thes is submitted to Ain Shams University by Doaa M. IbrahimKey Words: Serum visfatin, insulin, ferritin, sTF