Adipokine

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The adipokines or adipocytokines are a group of cytokines (cell-to-cell signalling proteins) secreted by adipose tissue.

Members include:

• adiponectin
• chemerin
• interleukin-6 (IL-6)
• leptin (Ob ligand)
• plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)
• resistin
• retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4)
• tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα)
• visfatin

Their relative roles in modifying appetite, insulin resistance and atherosclerosis are the subjects of intense research, as they may be modifiable causes of morbidity in people with obesity.

Notes

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Last updated on Saturday February 09, 2008 at 23:01:47 PST (GMT -0800)
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