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PROINSULIN AND ADIPONECTIN IN PATIENTS WITH NONALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE

ELENA CACEAUNE^1*, DANIELA LIXANDRU², IONEL COPACI³, NICU CACEAUNE³, CONSTANTIN IONESCU-TȊRGOVIŞTE¹, MOHAMAD ABDULWAHABE MOHAMAD²

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Liver fat, more than visceral fat is associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Although the relationship of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was studied in the light of the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, the relationship of NAFLD with proinsulin and adiponectin levels reflecting the β-cells dysfunction and respectively adipocytes secretion was less studied. In 112 patients (41 men and 71 women) fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting insulin, proinsulin and adiponectin were determined. Body fat percent and trunk fat content were measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis (TANITA BC-418). Weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, adipose tissue percent, trunk adipose tissue percent, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and visceral fat ratio (VFR) were higher in patients with NAFLD than in patients without NAFLD, the highest value was found in patients with NAFLD and T2D. Proinsulin, proinsulin/insulin and proinsulin/adiponectin ratio were significantly higher in patients with NAFLD and T2D than all the other groups. Adiponectin was significantly lower in patients with than without NAFLD. Proinsulin/insulin ratio can be considered a marker of β-cells dysfunction only in patients with NAFLD and T2D and not in patients with NAFLD and without T2DM, emphasizing that proinsulin is not a marker of liver disease.