Visfatin, low-grade inflammation and body mass index (BMI)

Visfatin is an adipokine with revealing roles in inflammatory mechanisms but its implication in inflammation related to excessive adiposity/obesity is not studied yet. Our aim was to investigate the relations of visfatin with inflammation markers and body mass index (BMI) in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), a type of cells closely related to inflammatory mechanisms.

Cross-sectional study, quantification of visfatin, TNF-alpha, IL-6 mRNA in PBMCs.

Eighty-three supposed healthy individuals from the STANISLAS cohort, belonging in three BMI categories: BMI < 25 kg/m(2) (lean), 25 kg/m(2) or= 30 kg/m(2) (obese).

We measured visfatin gene expression (by real-time quantitative PCR), in relation to gene expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha, IL-6 in PBMCs and to anthropometric parameters (weight, BMI, waist : hip ratio), blood pressure, lipid profile, glucose and inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, lymphocyte count).

Visfatin expression in PBMCs was significantly associated with BMI in a negative way (r = -0.21, P = 0.05). Global anova analysis test for lean and over-weight/obese individuals showed a negative significant association between visfatin expression in PBMCs and BMI both for men and women (P = 0.05 and P = 0.01, respectively) and these associations remained significant after separating subjects in three groups (lean, overweight, obese) for men and women (P = 0.02 and P = 0.05, respectively). Correlation analysis between levels of expression of visfatin and TNF-alpha showed a significant positive linear association (r(2) = 0.27, P < 0.0001).

These findings reveal a probable new role of visfatin in inflammation reflected in PBMCs, in the context of obesity.