Visfatin, a potential biomarker and prognostic factor for endometrial cancer

Visfatin, a newly discovered adipocytokine, is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of metabolic-syndrome-related cancers. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical significance of serum levels and tissue expression of visfatin in relation to endometrial cancer (EC).

A total of 234 EC patients were included in this study. Serum visfatin, metabolic and anthropometric parameters were measured in EC patients and controls. Serum visfatin levels were detected using ELISA. Tissue expression of visfatin was analyzed using immunohistochemistry in tissue microarrays. The correlation between clinicopathological variables and visfatin in EC tissues and the prognostic value of visfatin for overall survival was evaluated.

Serum levels of visfatin were significantly higher in EC patients than in controls (P<0.05). In univariate and multivariate logistic regression models, a positive association between EC and serum visfatin, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, diabetes, and hypertension was evident (P<0.05). Visfatin expression was significantly higher in EC tissue than in normal endometrial tissue (P=0.001). Moreover, serum visfatin levels were significantly positively correlated with tissue expression of visfatin in EC patients (P<0.05). High visfatin expression in EC tissues was significantly associated with advanced FIGO stage (P=0.016) and myometrial invasion ≥1/2 (P=0.023). The overall survival rate of EC patients was significantly higher in the group with negative visfatin expression than with positive visfatin expression (P=0.035).

Visfatin is a potential serum biomarker and prognostic factor for EC that may indicate high risk for EC and EC progression. It may also be a novel potential therapeutic target for EC.