Early changes in serum visfatin after abdominal surgery: a new pro-inflammatory marker in diagnosis?

Background: Visfatin is an adipocytokine produced primarily by visceral adipose tissue. In addition to its effect on the insulin receptor, it is a proinflammmatory cytokine with accumulating evidence for its rise in circulation, accompanying systemic inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in serum visfatin levels in the early post-abdominal surgery period with serum levels of other proinflammatory cytokines, to determine whether it could be used as a marker of inflammation.

Methods And Results: This was a prospective cross-sectional study of 42 patients undergoing elective laparotomic right hemicolectomy for adenocarcinoma colon. The parameters determined were visfatin, leptin, adiponectin, TNF α, interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels. The dynamics of change in these markers were assessed at +12, +24, +48, and +72 h after surgery. Serum levels of visfatin peaked as early as 24 h post-surgery, returning to normal after 72 h. TNF α and IL-6 levels reached their maximum 12 to 24 h later while CRP levels peaked after 72 h.

Conclusions: Significantly increased serum levels of visfatin detected in the early period after abdominal surgery preceded increase in the levels of other proinflammatory markers including TNF α, IL-6, and CRP. Given its dynamics, visfatin could serve as an early predictor of the development of inflammatory changes in patients undergoing surgery, particularly those with obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m(2)).