Serum Visfatin - A Novel Marker of Chronic Kidney Disease

Abstract

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is defined as glomerular filteration rate < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 for a minimum of 3 months irrespective of the cause. Accelerated atherosclerosis is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in CKD patients. Visfatin is a 52 kDa protein predominantly secreted by the visceral adipose tissue which has proinflammatory, insulin-mimetic and anti-apoptotic activities. Aims and Objective: To estimate the levels of serum visfatin in patients with CKD and to correlate it with serum highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), creatinine clearance (Ccr), and lipid profile. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at Thanjavur Medical College Hospital. 50 patients of CKD as cases and 50 age and gender matched healthy individuals were selected as controls. Serum visfatin and serum hsCRP were estimated by enzyme immunoassay and immunoturbidimetric method, respectively. Serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGLs), very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C), and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) were estimated by enzymatic method. Ccr and LDL-C were calculated using formula. Results: The mean value of visfatin in cases and controls were 27.42 ± 8.92 and 10.62 ± 1.57 ng/ml (t = 13.11; P < 0.05 significant), respectively. The level of serum visfatin is inversely correlated with Ccr (r = −0.898; P < 0.01). Serum hsCRP, TGL, and VLDL-C were significantly increased, and HDL-C was significantly decreased in cases when compared to controls (P < 0.05). There is no significant difference of TC between cases and controls. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that serum visfatin levels are significantly increased in patients with CKD. Visfatin may be considered as the novel marker of mortality predictor in CKD patients.

Keywords

• chronic kidney disease
• high sensitive c reactive protein
• visfatin.