Visfatin as an Early Marker for the Diagnosis of Metabolic Syndrome in Obese Adults: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: It is well-established that obesity plays a significant role in the development of metabolic syndrome. Visfatin is a novel adipocytokine predominantly secreted in adipose tissue, associated with a wide range of biological effects including glucose and lipid metabolism. Visfatin levels are significantly linked to inflammation and the development of obesity-related metabolic disorders. Unfortunately, the roles of visfatin in obesity, particularly in the Indian population, are scarce. Aim: To study the role of serum visfatin in diagnosing metabolic syndrome in overweight and obese adults. Materials and Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Biochemistry, Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh, India, between September 2022 and October 2023. A total of 200 subjects (50 controls, 50 overweight individuals, 50 obese individuals without metabolic syndrome, and 50 obese individuals with metabolic syndrome), aged 20-70 years, were enrolled as study participants. Anthropometric parameters, lipid profiles, and fasting glucose were analysed using an auto analyser. Serum visfatin levels were measured by Enzymelinked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Statistical analysis was performed using the t-test, and categorical data were analysed using the Chi-square test. Correlation analysis was done by Pearson's correlation at a significance level of 5%. Results: The control group consisted of 17 males and 33 females with a mean age of 41.5±13.4 years, the overweight group consisted of 13 males and 37 females with a mean age of 37.1±10.9 years, the obese without metabolic syndrome group consists of 16 males and 34 females with a mean age of 40.6±12.7 years, and obese with metabolic syndrome group had 23 males and 27 females with a mean age of 42.0±9.2 years. Serum visfatin levels (ng/mL) were significantly elevated in the overweight (1.7±0.3), obese without metabolic syndrome (4.3±3.2), and obese with metabolic syndrome (10.9±6.6) groups compared to the controls (1.0±0.2). Serum visfatin levels were positively correlated with Body Mass Index (BMI) (r=0.51, p<0.001), Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR) (r=0.41, p<0.001), Neck Circumference (NC) (r=0.50, p<0.001), Fasting glucose (r=0.44, p<0.001), Total Cholesterol (TC) (r=0.41, p<0.001), Triglycerides (TG) (r=0.39, p<0.001), LowDensity Lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c) (r=0.39, p<0.001), Very Low-Density Lipoprotein (VLDL) (VLDL) (r=0.39, p<0.001), Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) (r=0.52, p<0.001), and Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) (r=0.45, p<0.001), and negatively correlated with High-Density Lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) (r=-0.20, p<0.002). Conclusion: The present study revealed a good relationship between serum visfatin and the anthropometric and biochemical parameters. The current data belief is that visfatin may be a promising biomarker for predicting metabolic syndrome and its associated disorders particularly in overweight and obese adults.