Adipose tissue, obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

The association of obesity with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been established. Obesity has been linked not only to initial stages of the disease, i.e.

Activin A and follistatin in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Objective: There are limited data on the role of activin A and its binding protein, follistatin, in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The main aim was the evaluation of serum activin A and follistatin levels in patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD vs.

Methods: This was a case-control study.

Circulating follistatin displays a day-night rhythm and is associated with muscle mass and circulating leptin levels in healthy, young humans.

Purpose: Follistatin may affect lean and fat mass and be implicated in metabolic diseases. We aimed to elucidate physiological predictors of circulating follistatin variation in healthy young humans.

Procedures: This was an observational, cross-sectional study with two additional prospective observational arms (circadian, seasonal sub-studies) and one prospective interventional arm (mixed meal sub-study).

Emerging and future therapies for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in adults.

Introduction: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a disease of increasing prevalence with morbidity and mortality closely related to cardiovascular disease, malignancies and cirrhosis. Despite the need for pharmacological treatment and intense research in the field, there is currently no approved agent for NASH.

Areas Covered: There are medications shown to improve hepatic steatosis, including thiazolidinediones, vitamin E and pentoxifylline.

Adiponectin as a target for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis with thiazolidinediones: A systematic review.

Thiazolidinediones (TZDs; pioglitazone and rosiglitazone) have provided promising results in clinical trials for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The main purpose of this systematic review was to summarize evidence on circulating adiponectin levels in relation to histological changes following TZD treatment in patients with histologically confirmed NASH. We performed a systematic search in PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane Library.

Vaspin, resistin, retinol-binding protein-4, interleukin-1α and interleukin-6 in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Unlabelled:  Background and rational. Data on newer adipokines and interleukins in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are inconclusive. The primary aim of this study was the evaluation of serum vaspin, resistin, retinol-binding protein (RBP)-4, interleukin (IL)-1α and IL-6 levels in NAFLD patients compared to matched controls, and their association with disease severity.

Investigating the role of Natural Killer T-cells in Gram negative infections of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cells belong to innate immunity and combine T-cell receptor specificity with Natural Killer surface markers. They can produce cytokines immediately after stimulation and direct immunity to either Th1 or Th2 cytokine production. iNKT cells participate in a variety of immune responses, such as microbial infections, autoimmunity, and cancer.

Prevalence and determinants of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Greek adult population.

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing worldwide reaching epidemic proportions. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of DM in Thessaly, a large region of Central Greece, and to extrapolate our results to the population of the entire country. A random sample of 805 adults (421 females and 384 men) living in Thessaly, aged 18-80 years, was surveyed.

Adipokines in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Since the discovery of adipose tissue as a higly active endocrine tissue, adipokines, peptides produced by adipose tissue and exerting autocrine, paracrine and endocrine function, have gained increasing interest in various obesity-related diseases, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Data regarding the association between NAFLD and circulating leptin and adiponectin levels are generally well documented: leptin levels increase, whereas adiponectin levels decrease, by increasing the severity of NAFLD. Data regarding other adipokines in histologically confirmed NAFLD populations are inconclusive (e.