Serum concentrations of extracellular fatty acid synthase in patients with steatohepatitis.
BACKGROUND
Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is an enzyme synthesized by the liver and plays an important role in lipogenesis. The present study aimed to assess whether serum FASN concentrations are altered in patients with chronic liver disease, and to investigate whether its measurement may be a useful tool in the clinical evaluation of this derangement.


METHODS
We investigated 93 patients with chronic liver disease (14 minimal change disease, 79 steatohepatitis) and 100 control subjects. Serum FASN concentrations were measured using ELISA.


RESULTS
Patients had a significant increase in serum FASN concentration (p<0.001), which was specifically associated with the hepatic Knodell sub-index III of portal inflammation (p=0.019). In addition, serum FASN concentrations were significantly correlated with the circulating levels of the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) (Spearman rho=0.375; p<0.001) and type III procollagen-N-peptide (P-III-P) (Spearman rho=0.297; p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Serum FASN concentrations are increased in patients with chronic liver impairment, and are associated with specific histological alterations and biochemical markers of portal inflammation. These data suggest that FASN measurement may contribute significantly to the evaluation of these patients.
Marsillach
Judit
J
Centre de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain.
Oliveras-Ferraros
Cristina
C
Beltrán
Raúl
R
Rull
Anna
A
Aragonès
Gerard
G
Alonso-Villaverde
Carlos
C
Vázquez-Martín
Alejandro
A
Joven
Jorge
J
Menéndez
Javier A
JA
Camps
Jordi
J
D000328:Adult; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000097:blood; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases / Q000097:blood*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood; D011347:Procollagen / Q000097:blood; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011347:Procollagen; C041876:procollagen Type III-N-terminal peptide; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases