Clinical significance of soluble TNF receptor in Japanese patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
BACKGROUND
Soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor (sTNFR) is reported to be a good indicator of TNF production and severity in inflammatory diseases. To investigate the clinical significance of sTNFR in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), we measured the serum levels of soluble TNF receptor-1 and -2.


METHODS
We analyzed 82 NASH patients and 15 healthy subjects (control). The grades of fibrosis, inflammation and fatty deposit were evaluated on liver biopsy. The serum levels of sTNFR-1 and -2 were measured by ELISA.


RESULTS
There was significant correlation between platelet count and sTNFRs. The titers of sTNFR-2 in NASH patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) were higher than in those without DM. The serum levels of sTNFRs in NASH patients with advanced fibrosis were increased compared with those of control and NASH patients with low-grade fibrosis. Soluble TNFRs in patients with moderate inflammation were increased compared to those of control and patients with mild inflammation. There was no significant association between fatty deposit grade and sTNFRs.


CONCLUSIONS
Soluble TNFRs have a significant correlation with fibrosis in NASH.
Tokushige
Katsutoshi
K
Tokyo Women's Medical University, Department of Medicine and Gastroenterology, Japan. hashimoto@mti.biglobe.ne.jp
Hashimoto
Etsuko
E
Tsuchiya
Noriko
N
Kaneda
Hiroyuki
H
Taniai
Makiko
M
Shiratori
Keiko
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers; D002648:Child; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000378:metabolism; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D047889:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II