Circulating visfatin level and visfatin/insulin ratio in obese women with metabolic syndrome
Archives of Medical Science, 05/10/2012  Clinical Article

Olszanecka–Glinianowicz M et al. – The authors conclude that the visfatin/insulin ratio declining with increasing visceral obesity may predispose to the development of insulin resistance.

• The study involved 92 obese women.
• Subjects were diagnosed with MetS according to IDF 2005 criteria.
• The MetS group consisted of 71 subjects (age: 52.8 ±9.4 years, body mass index [BMI]: 39.1 ±5.6 kg/m2, waist circumference: 109.6 ±11.4 cm and fat mass: 52.0 ±12.8 kg) while the non–MetS group consisted of 21 subjects (age: 51.7 ±9.5 years, BMI: 36.3 ±5.2 kg/m2, waist circumference: 104.7 ±11.0 cm and fat mass: 45.2 ±10.7 kg).
• In addition to anthropometric measurements and assessment of serum glucose and lipids, plasma concentrations of visfatin were estimated by enzyme–linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and of insulin by radioimmunoassay (RIA).
• Homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA–IR) and visfatin/insulin ratio were calculated.

• In the MetS group significantly higher (p < 0.01) plasma concentrations of insulin and HOMA–IR values but similar visfatin levels were observed than in the non–MetS group.
• As a consequence of the significantly higher plasma insulin concentration the visfatin/insulin ratio was significantly lower in the MetS group (p < 0.05).
• The visfatin/insulin ratio correlated inversely with anthropometric parameters such as body mass, BMI, body fat and waist circumference (r = –0.41, p = 0.0003; r = –0.42, p = 0.0002; r = –0.29, p = 0.01; r = –0.23, p = 0.04, respectively).