EVALUATION OF SERUM VISFATIN AS A NOVEL BIOMARKER IN PATIENTS WITH NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE AND ITS CORRELATION WITH LIVER ENZYMES

Abstract

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease and is closely associated with metabolic dysfunction, including obesity and insulin resistance. Visfatin, a pro inflammatory adipokine, has emerged as a potential non-invasive biomarker for assessing hepatic inflammation in NAFLD. Objective: To evaluate serum Visfatin levels in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and determine their correlation with liver enzymes. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 50 ultrasonography-confirmed NAFLD patients aged 18–65 years. Serum Visfatin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In contrast, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) were estimated using standard automated biochemical methods. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between serum Visfatin and liver enzymes, with a p-value <0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the participants was 44.7 ± 10.9 years, with 31 (62%) males and 19 (38%) females. The mean serum Visfatin concentration was 7.96 ± 2.14 ng/mL. Mean ALT, AST, and GGT levels were 63.2 ± 18.5 U/L, 47.1 ± 14.8 U/L, and 38.6 ± 18.4 U/L, respectively. Serum Visfatin showed a significant positive correlation with ALT (r = 0.58, p < 0.001), AST (r = 0.49, p < 0.001), and GGT (r = 0.54, p < 0.001), indicating that higher Visfatin concentrations were associated with greater hepatic enzyme abnormalities. Conclusion: Serum Visfatin levels were significantly elevated and positively correlated with liver enzyme levels in patients with NAFLD. These findings suggest that Visfatin may serve as a promising non-invasive biomarker for hepatic inflammation and disease severity in NAFLD.