INTRODUCTION:

 Visfatin is synthesized and released by adipocytes and by inflammatory cells, like activated macrophages, whose infiltration in adipose tissues is markedly increased in relation with obesity . Elevated serum visfatin levels was reported in diabetic type 2 patients and in haemodialysis patients. Visfatin has been considered as a marker of endothelial dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE:

Our aim was to study the role of serum visfatin levels as diagnostic marker of the degree of kidney disease in diabetic patients and its role as a risk factor of cardiovascular disorders in those patients.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS:

75 diabetic type 2 subjects categorized into 4 groups according to absence and presence of albuminuria and to its degree if present ,in addation to 15 age and sex matched healthy control subjects. All individuals included in the study were subjected to history taking, physical examination, Body mass index calculation, measurement of total cholesterol , serum triglecrides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL) , levels of haemoglobin( HB) , white blood cells(WBCs) and pletelets count , fasting blood glucose levels, Glycosylated Hb (HA1c), serum albumin ,serum creatinine ,urinary albumin creatinine ratio and serum visfatin levels.

RESULTS:

Serum visfatin levels were significantly higher in macroalbuminuric diabetics (group4) than microalbuminuric diabetics( group3)[ P=<0.001] and  in diabetic patients on haemodialysis than in macroalbuminuric diabetics (group4) [ P=<0.001]. We found significant positive correlations between serum visfatin levels and both total cholesterol levels and serum triglycerides levels [P=<0.001 repeatedly] with significant negative correlation between serum visfatin levels and HDL serum levels [ P=<0.001] Hightly significant negative correlation between serum visfatin levels and serum albumin [P= 0.001] , together with highly significant positive correlations between serum visfatin levels and both serum creatinine [P= 0.001] , and UACR [P= 0.001].

CONCLUSION:

serum visfatin levels can be considered not only as diagnostic marker for kidney disease and its degree in diabetic patients type2 but  moreover it can be considered as a risk factor of cardiovascular disorders in those patients.