Aim To observe the change of serum Visfatin level in patients with unstable angina (UA); To investigate the correlation between serum Visfatin and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), soluble intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1). Methods The changes of serum Visfatin, sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1 levels were detected by using quantitative sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 80 UA patients (UA group), 68 patients with stable angina (SA group) and and 60 healthy subjects (control group). Other clinical biochemical indexes were routinely detected at the same time. In the UA group, the relationships between serum Visfatin and sVCAM-1, sICAM-1, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), other biochemical indexes were analysed by Pearson correlation test. Results The levels of serum Visfatin, sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1 in UA group were significantly higher than those in SA group and control group (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). In the UA group, serum Visfatin level was significantly positively correlated with sVCAM-1 (r＝0.332, P＜0.01), sICAM-1 (r＝0.479, P＜0.01), hs-CRP (r＝0.521, P＜0.01), but there was no significant correlation between serum Visfatin and waist circumference, body mass index, blood pressure, other biochemical indexes. There were no significant differences in serum Visfatin, sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1 levels between the SA group and the control group (P＞0.05). Conclusions The level of serum Visfatin is significantly increased, and is positively correlated with sVCAM-1, sICAM-1 and hs-CRP in UA patients. It is suggested that serum Visfatin is closely related to vascular endothelial injury and plaque instability, so it may be a marker of vascular endothelial injury.