Adipokines, pleiotropic molecules produced by white adipose tissue (WAT) have attracted the attention of scientists since 1994. The role of adipokines in metabolic syndrome is known and fixed. Adipokines exerting a variety of metabolic activities have contributed to the ethiopathogenesis and the consequences of metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, adipokines are involved in the regulation of inflammatory processes and autoimmunity in the light of pathogenesis of connective tissue diseases. Given some evidence for the influence of adipokines in metabolic syndrome, there may be a link between CVDs and rheumatic diseases. This review provides an overview of the literature focusing on the role of adipokines in rheumatic diseases by putting special emphasis on the potential role of leptin, resistin, adiponectin, chemerin, visfatin and novel adipokines in connective tissue diseases.
