title: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein as a serum predictor of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease based on the Akaike Information Criterion scoring system in the general Japanese population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) has been developed and used as a marker to predict coronary vascular diseases in metabolic syndrome (MS). We investigated whether serum hs-CRP concentration was associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) based on the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) scoring system, using patients from the human dry dock program.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 2004 to 2005, 1254 subjects visited our human dry dock annual checkup program. We excluded from this study individuals with markers of viral hepatitis and those whose alcohol consumption was more than 20 g/week. Finally, 230 subjects (93 men and 137 women) were investigated. Serum hs-CRP concentrations were measured using a highly sensitive latex agglutination assay system. The AIC scoring system with the CATDAP-20 program was introduced to evaluate the parameters that are present frequently in NAFLD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NAFLD was diagnosed by ultrasound sonography in 35.4% of the men and 18.9% of the women. High serum hs-CRP concentrations were observed in women with NAFLD (normal: NAFLD = 0.45:1.47 mg/l, P < 0.05). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and body weight had the three lowest AIC score (P = 4.5e(-19) to 2.6e(-16)). hs-CRP was the third lowest variable among the serum markers associated with NAFLD (P = 2.3e(-6)) In addition, the hs-CRP concentration was correlated strongly with triglyceride values in females with NAFLD and with fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, and waist/hip ratio in males with NAFLD (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The serum hs-CRP concentration was a strong predictor for NAFLD with a low AIC score and correlated with serum markers that indicated lipid and glucose metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Medicine, International Medical Center of Japan, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kogiso
authors.forename: Yuriko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Moriyoshi
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Hikaru
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagahara
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiratori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012737:Sex Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D014280:Triglycerides