Adiponectin and its receptors in chronic hepatitis B patients with metabolic syndrome in China.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Adiponectin can initiate a broad range of metabolic and immunological effects. Little is known about the role of adiponectin in hepatitis B related liver disease and metabolic syndrome (MS). METHODOLOGY: We studied 138 patients with untreated chronic hepatitis B (CHB), who were from Beijing Ditan hospital in 2005 to 2009. According to MS, two groups (65 with MS vs. 73 without MS) were established. They were compared with characteristics and stained immunohistochemically for adiponectin and adiponectin receptor2 (adipoR2). RESULTS: In the group of CHB patients with MS, the levels of LDH, γ-GT, FPG, FINS, HOMA-IR, HOMA-ß, TG and HBeAg positive were significantly higher than those in the group without MS (p<0.05). Liver steatosis in the group with MS is significantly more severe than that in the group without MS (p<0.001). With binary logistic regression analyses, BMI and HOMA-IR showed independent predictors to MS in patients with CHB. In patients with chronic HBV, the insulin sensitizing adipokine adiponectin and its receptor AdipoR2 was associated with diabetes in patients with CHB and MS. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed the CHB patients with MS may be presence of more severe steatosis. MS in CHB patients may be closely correlated with insulin resistance and less effect of viruses. Reduced hepatic expression of adiponectin and adipoR2 might be of pathophysiological relevance in CHB patients with MS.