Abstract
Background: Adipokines that are produced by adipose tissue have extensive effects on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and also on the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome (MetS).
Objectives: This study aimed to measure the concentrations of omentin-1, visfatin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) as likely markers of metabolic syndrome and also to demonstrate their associations in women with MetS.
Materials and Methods: Eighty women with MetS and eighty healthy women as controls participated in this study. Blood pressure, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), and serum biochemical parameters were determined in all subjects. The serum level of IGF-1, omentin-1 and visfatin were assessed using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The association between omentin, visfatin and IGF-1 was also determined in these women.
Results: Significantly lower levels of omentin-1 and IGF-1 were observed in MetS subjects compared to the controls (P = 0.009 and < 0.001 respectively). However, a significant difference was not observed in visfatin concentration between the two studied groups (P = 0.67). A positive association was observed between omentin-1, visfatin and IGF-1 in the MetS group.
Conclusions: Our findings indicated a lower level of both omentin-1 and IGF-1 in women with MetS; this might play a role in the pathogenesis of MetS. Furthermore, the main finding of the current investigation was the association between omentin, visfatin and IGF-1; however determining the molecular mechanism of the observed relationships needs further studies.