Adiponectin in chronic hepatitis C.

White adipose tissue has been increasingly recognized as an important endocrine organ that secretes a number of biologically active adipokines. Adiponectin, one of the major adipokines, possesses anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing properties, and its serum levels typically decline with increasing body weight. Hypoadiponectinemia has been implicated in the development of obesity-related morbidities such as dyslipidemia and cerebrovascular disease. In addition, hypoadiponectinemia has been reported to enhance hepatic steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and hepatocarcinogenesis in animal models or clinical liver diseases. Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has some features which allow it to be recognized not only as a viral disease but also as a metabolic liver disease that encompasses insulin resistance, inflammation, steatosis and fibrosis. CHC is another disease in which adipokines may represent a link between viral infection and steatosis, or metabolic disturbance. In this report, data indicating a possible role of adiponectin in CHC are summarized.