Resistin levels in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease pathogenesis

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging public health issue, being not only a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, but also an independent risk factor for chronic diseases. Between several molecules produced by adipose tissue there’s resistin, a 10 kDa dimeric protein secreted by adipose tissue and macrophages. Resistin is involved in glucose and lipid metabolism, contributing to the development of insulin resistance and obesity, and is also expressed in liver cells, where its production seems to increase with the progression of liver damage. In a previous study we found no differences in the resistin serum levels in the patients with NAFLD compared to controls. However, we also demonstrated a negative correlation between resistin concentration and echographic stage of hepatic fat accumulation. These observations suggest that the role of resistin in the pathogenesis of NAFLD can be limited.