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Excess adiposity is the most important risk in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Adipose tissue produces several proteins (adipocytokines) such as leptin, adiponectin, resistin, tumor necrosis factor-?, and IL-6, that modulate insulin sensitivity and appear to play an important role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance, diabetes, dyslipidemia, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. However, the mechanisms by which fat tissue induces insulin resistance and the role of adipocytokines in the pathogenesis of T2DM have not been well established. Visfatin, also known as pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF), is a cytokine that is highly expressed in visceral fat and was originally isolated as a secreted factor that synergizes with IL-7 and stem cell factors to promote the growth of B cell precursors. Visfatin homologs have been identified in carp, invertebrate mollusks, and bacteria, as well as in vertebrates, including humans and the mouse. It has been postulated to play a role in innate immunity.
Visfatin exerts insulin-mimetic effects that are dose-dependent and quantitatively similar to those of insulin in stimulating muscle and adipocyte glucose transport, and in inhibiting hepatocyte glucose production. Intravenous injection of recombinant visfatin in mice decreased plasma glucose in a dose-dependent fashion. In keeping with its insulin-mimetic effects, visfatin was as effective as insulin in reducing hyperglycemia in insulin-deficient diabetic mice. Visfatin was also found to be bound to and activate insulin receptor, causing receptor phosphorylation and the activation of downstream signaling molecules. However, visfatin and insulin did not compete for binding to the insulin receptor, indicating that the two proteins were recognized by different regions of the receptor. Thus, visfatin might play a role in glucose homeostasis and dysregulation in biosynthesis or signal transduction, and might contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetes.

Vesicular overexpressed in cancer prosurvival protein 1 (VOPP1) has been previously shown to be over-expressed in human glioblastoma multiform and squamous cell carcinoma. VOPP1 is a crucial regulator of NF-kappaB signaling, and this high-level, amplification-mediated VOPP1 expression, such as that occurring in tumors with amplified EGFR, might impact the resistance to apoptosis.

WAP four-disulfide core domain protein 2 (WFDC2) is a protease inhibitor, which belongs to the WFDC domain family. WFDC2 is effective with a broad range of proteases, e.g. aspartic, serine or thiol proteases. WFDC2 is expressed in several normal tissues, including the male reproductive system, regions of the respiratory tract and nasopharynx. WFDC2 may be involved in sperm maturation. WFDC2 is also highly expressed in a number of tumors cells lines, such ovarian, colon, breast, lung and renal cells lines.

Regulated upon Activation, Normal T-cell Expressed, and Secreted or RANTES is an 8 kDa protein classified as a chemotactic cytokine or chemokine. It has recently been renamed CCL5. RANTES is chemotactic for T cells, eosinophils and basophils and plays an active role in recruiting leukocytes into inflammatory sites. With the help of particular cytokines (i.e. IL-2 and IFN-?) that are released by T cells, RANTES also induces the proliferation and activation of certain natural killer (NK) cells to form CHAK (CC-Chemokine-activated killer) cells. It is also a HIV-suppressive factor released from CD8+ T cells. This chemokine has been localized to chromosome 17 in humans.

Cysteine-Rich Secretory Protein 2 (CRISP2) regulates some ion channels activity and thereby regulates calcium fluxes during sperm capacitation. Amongst its related pathways are p53 signaling. Diseases related with CRISP2 include epididymitis and orchitis.

The 14-3-3 family of proteins plays a key regulatory role in signal transduction, checkpoint control, apoptotic and nutrient-sensing pathways. 14-3-3 proteins are highly conserved and ubiquitously expressed. There are at least seven isoforms that have been identified in mammals. The 14-3-3gamma, a subtype of the 14-3-3 family of proteins, was thought to be brain and neuron-specific. It has been shown to interact with RAF1 and protein kinase C, proteins involved in various signal transduction pathways.

Pancreatitis-associated protein (PAP) is a secretory protein not normally expressed in healthy pancreas but highly induced during acute pancreatitis. While PAP has been shown to be anti-bacterial and antiapoptotic in vitro, its definitive biological function in vivo is not clear. Using antisepse oligonucleotides, inhibition of PAP expression significantly worsened pancreatitis in a rat model. During pancreatitis, PAP released by the pancreas could mediate lung inflammation through induction of hepatic TNF- alpha expression and subsequent increase in circulating TNF-alpha.
PAP is activated in primary liver cancers. In normal liver, the protein is undetectable in normal mature hepatocytes and found only in some ductular cells, representing potential hepatic progenitor cells. PAP can be considered hepatic cytokine that combines mitogenic and anti-apoptotic functions regarding hepatocytes, and consequently acts as a growth factor in vivo to enhance liver regeneration. In pancreatic cancor, PAP was overexpressed in 79% (30 of 38) of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, 19% (7 of 36) of chronic pancreatitis, and 29% (2 of 7) of mucinous cystadenoma. PAP was found in malignant ductular structures in pancreatic carcinomas as well as in benign proliferating ductules and acinar cells in chronic pancreatitis. Elevation of PAP in patients with pancreatic cancer is not merely explainable by concomitant pancreatitis, but seems to be due to increased PAP production by the cancer cells and is also correlated to tumour load as expressed by the UICC stages.
Epithelial expression of PAP was induced under intestinal mucosal inflammation initiated by exposure to commensal bacteria or DSS as well as inflamed IBD colon. Increased serum level of PAP diagnosed ileal location in active Crohn disease with a sensitivity of 60%, a specificity of 94%, a positive predictive value of 84% and a negative predictive value of 81%. Elevated serum PAP (> 50 ng/mL) is significantly associated with disease activity and ileal location of Crohn disease.

Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 11 (CCL11) is a small cytokine belonging to the CC chemokine family that is also known as eotaxin. CCL11 selectively recruits eosinophils by inducing their chemotaxis, and therefore, is implicated in allergic responses. The effects of CCL11 are mediated by its binding to a G-protein-linked receptor known as a chemokine receptor. Chemokine receptors for which CCL11 is a ligand include CCR2, CCR3 and CCR5. The gene for human CCL11 (scya11) is encoded on three exons and is located on chromosome 17.

PLGF is a growth factor active in angiogenesis, and endothelial cell growth, stimulating their proliferation and migration. It binds to receptor vegfr-1/flt1.
PLGF-2 binds neuropilin-1 and 2 in a dependent way.

Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 11 (CCL11) is a small cytokine belonging to the CC chemokine family that is also known as eotaxin. CCL11 selectively recruits eosinophils by inducing their chemotaxis, and therefore, is implicated in allergic responses. The effects of CCL11 are mediated by its binding to a G-protein-linked receptor known as a chemokine receptor. Chemokine receptors for which CCL11 is a ligand include CCR2, CCR3 and CCR5. The gene for human CCL11 (scya11) is encoded on three exons and is located on chromosome 17.

PAIP2 has a role as a repressor in the regulation of translation initiation of poly(A)-containing mRNAs. PAIP2 inhibitory activity on translation is mediated through its action on PABPC1. PAIP2 displaces the interaction of PABPC1 with poly(A) RNA and competes with PAIP1 for binding to PABPC1. PAIP2 association with PABPC1 results in disruption of the cytoplasmic poly(A) RNP structure organization.

PECI is an enzyme that localized to the peroxisomal matrix and encloses one ACB (acyl-CoA-binding) domain. PECI is expressed abundantly in liver, heart and skeletal muscle. PECI functions to catalyze the isomerization of both 3-cis and 3-trans double bonds into the 2-trans form in an array of enoyl-CoA species. PECI takes part in the beta-oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids.

MAGEA4 is part of the MAGEA family, which directs the expression of tumor antigens that are identified on a human melanoma by autologous cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL). MAGEA4 participates in embryonal development and tumor transformation or aspects of tumor progression. MAGEA4 is expressed in many tumors of several types, such as melanoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, lung carcinoma and breast carcinoma, but not in normal tissues except for testes and placenta.

Thyrotroph embryonic factor (TEF) is a nuclear transcription factor which is a part of the bZIP (basic region/leucine zipper) family and PAR subfamily. TEF binds DNA as either a homodimer or heterodimer, and is known to transactivate the TSH beta promoter. TEF accumulates according to a robust circadian rhythm and is also inhibits cell growth by down-regulating beta chain expression of cytokine receptors.

Galectin-16 (LGALS16) binds lactose with high affinity. LGALS16 is a strong inducer of T-cell apoptosis.

Melanoma-associated antigen D1 (MAGED1) belongs to the melanoma antigen gene (MAGE) family and expressed in virtually all normal adult tissues. MAGED1 is involved in the p75 neurotrophin receptor mediated programmed cell death pathway. MAGED1 is involved in Prader-Willi syndrome including hyperphagia, repetitive and compulsive behaviors, and cognitive impairment. MAGED1 is involved in the apoptotic response following NGF (nerve growth factor) binding in neuronal cells. MAGED1 hinders cell cycle progression, and facilitates NGFR-mediated apoptosis. MAGED1 functions as a regulator of the function of DLX family members. MAGED1 has a role in the circadian rythm regulation.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is derived from the transcription product of the proglucagon gene. The major source of GLP-1 in the body is the intestinal L cell that secretes GLP-1 as a guthormone. The biologically active forms of GLP-1 are: GLP-1-(7-37) and GLP-1-(7-36)NH2.
GLP-1 secretion by L cells is dependent on the presence of nutrients in the lumen of the small intestine. The secretagogues (agents that causes or stimulates secretion) of this hormone include major nutrients like carbohydrate, proteinand lipid. Once in the circulation, GLP-1 has a half life of less than 2 minutes, due to rapid degradation by the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase-4.
GLP-1 possesses several physiological properties that make it a subject of intensive investigation as a potential treatment of diabetes mellitus. The known physiological functions of GLP-1 include: Increases insulin secretion from the pancreas in a glucose-dependent manner, decreases glucagon secretion from the pancreas, increases beta cells mass and insulin gene expression, inhibits acid secretion and gastric emptying in the stomach, decreases food intake by increasing satiety.

E-selectin which is also called Endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule 1, ELAM1, ELAM belongs to a family of divalent cation-dependent carbohydrate-binding glycoproteins or adhesion molecules. Eselectin is expressed on the surface of endothelial cells and mediates the interaction of leukocytes and platelets with endothelial cells during an inflammatory response. E-selectin is present in single copy in the human genome and contains 14 exons spanning about 13 kb of DNA.

HDAC2 is a member of the histone deacetylase family that performs through the construction of large multiprotein complexes and are in charge of the deacetylation of lysine residues on the N-terminal region of the core histones. HDAC2 forms transcriptional repressor complexes by relating to a diversity of proteins, like YY1- a mammalian zinc-finger transcription factor.
In addition, HDAC2 has a vital part in transcriptional regulation, cell cycle progression and developmental procedures.

AIMP1 (EMPA2 or p43) is a cytokine that is specifically induced by apoptosis, and it is involved in the control of angiogenesis, inflammation, and wound healing. The release of the AIMP1 cytokine renders the tumor-associated vasculature sensitive to tumor necrosis factor. Furthermore, AIMP1 is involved in the stimulation of inflammatory responses after proteolytic cleavage in tumor cells.