Increased serum visfatin level is associated with fat deposition of the lumbar spine in ankylosing spondylitis patients.

Objectives: To assess the serum visfatin levels in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), as well as its correlation with fat deposition of the lumbar spine.

Methods: Serum visfatin levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 50 AS patients and 75 sex-and age-matched healthy controls. The clinical and laboratory indexes of AS patients were recorded, and the lumbar spine magnetic resonance scan was performed to evaluate the lumbar spine fat deposition in AS patients. The level of serum visfatin and its correlation with lumbar fat deposition were analyzed, and the risk factors of AS lumbar MRI fat deposition were evaluated by Logistic regression.

Results: Serum visfatin levels in AS patients were elevated compared with that in healthy controls ( < 0.001), and were more significant in patients with fat deposition and syndesmophyte formation ( = 0.017 and  = 0.014, respectively). Serum visfatin levels were positively correlated with CRP, BASDAI, mSASSS and fat deposition (all  < 0.05). Age (OR = 1.085, 95% CI: 1.005-1.173,  = 0.038), disease duration (OR = 1.267, 95% CI: 1.017-1.578,  = 0.035), and visfatin (OR = 1.846, 95% CI: 1.004-3.393,  = 0.048) were risk factors for fat deposition in AS patients.

Conclusions: The level of serum visfatin in AS patients is significantly increased, which is associated with fat deposition on lumbar MRI. Elevated visfatin level is an independent risk factor for AS lumbar fat deposition.