Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (
NAFLD), one of the most common forms of chronic
liver disease, is closely associated with
obesity and
insulin resistance. Recent studies suggest that
apelin, a newly described
adipokine, is associated with
hyperinsulinemia and
inflammation. The aim of the study was to investigate plasma
apelin concentrations in biopsy-proven
NAFLD patients who had no metabolic confounders and also to search for the association of
apelin with
adiponectin, body mass index (BMI), and
insulin sensitivity. Fifty male patients with
NAFLD and 30 healthy male controls were enrolled.
Apelin was measured along with BMI,
lipids,
glucose,
insulin,
adiponectin, and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) of
insulin resistance indexes. Plasma
apelin levels were significantly higher and
adiponectin levels were lower in
NAFLD patients when compared with the controls (P < .001 and P = .013, respectively). In multivariate analysis adjusted for BMI and HOMA indexes, the differences in
apelin and
adiponectin disappeared in the 2 groups (P = .3 and P = .1, respectively). In addition,
apelin levels were positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.29, P = .05) and HOMA indexes (r = 0.4, P = .008) in subjects with
NAFLD. The results of this preliminary study suggest that plasma
apelin levels are not altered in nondiabetic and normotensive male subjects with
NAFLD.