Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: Comparison of the parameters of obesity with the newly-defined adipocytokines in females applying to our clinic for obesity.

Method: Demographical data of 36 obese females were determined. Cases were classified as obese and morbid obese according to BMI values. Biochemical parameters were measured for all the cases. Thicknesses of subcutaneous and visceral fatty tissues were measured on ultrasonography. Statistical significances were evaluated by applying Pearson correlation and Student t-test.

Findings: According to the correlation analysis of the entire group, it was seen that plasma visfatin and apelin measurements had no correlation with parameters other than the correlation between them (r=0.42, P<0.05), and plasma leptin levels correlated positively with BMI, subcutaneous and visceral fatty tissue measurements, and h-CRP. In the correlation analysis of the obese group, it was found that there was correlation between apelin and visfatin; and in the morbid obese group, there was correlation between apelin and systolic blood pressure and fasting–postprandial glucose and visceral fatty tissue and h-CRP. When obese and morbid obese groups were compared, it was found that there were no statistically significant differences in plasma visfatin and apelin levels, although there were significant differences between BMI, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, postprandial glucose, h-CRP, leptin, and thicknesses of subcutaneous and visceral fatty tissues.

Conclusion: In our study, increasing of plasma leptin levels with the increasing degree of obesity, and positive correlations with body mass and fatty tissue measurements are consistent with the literature. No correlation was found in our study between the levels of plasma visfatin and apelin levels and BMI, body fat amount, and thicknesses of subcutaneous and visceral fatty tissues, and no significant changes were seen between morbid obese and obese groups regarding the same. We believe that further studies are required to enlighten this issue.