الفهرس 
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Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a common worldwide liver disease. Hepatic steatosis (excessive lipid accumulation in the cytoplasm of the hepatocytes), is a frequent histological feature in the patients chronically infected with HCV. However, the mechanisms that have induced hepatic steatosis in HCV-infected patients are difficult to understand.
Adiponectin is a protein expressed exclusively by adipocytes and hepatocytes and modulates glucose regulation and fatty acid catabolism. Adiponectin is believed to protect hepatocytes from triglyceride accumulation by increasing β-oxidation of free fatty acid and/or decreasing de novo free fatty acid production in hepatocytes. Decreased plasma adiponectin levels were related to liver steatosis. Previous studies reported a negative correlation between adiponectin and CHC infection however; the role of adiponectin in HCV induced steatosis is still not completely understood.