Circulating levels of interleukin-18 in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
OBJECTIVE
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is strongly associated with obesity and diabetes mellitus. IL-18 is associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Our aim was to investigate the relationship of IL-18 with adiponectin and liver histology in subjects with NAFLD who had no additional disorder such as morbid obesity, diabetes mellitus and hypertension.


METHODS
Plasma levels of IL-18 and adiponectin were measured by ELISA in 96 male subjects with NAFLD [n = 65 for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and n = 31 for simple steatosis (SS)].


RESULTS
IL-18 levels were not different between the two groups (p = 0.89). There was no significant association of IL-18 with adiponectin, insulin resistance and histopathological findings. Adiponectin was lower in the NASH group compared to the SS group (p = 0.02) and it was found to be negatively correlated with hepatic steatosis and fibrosis (r = -0.442, p < 0.001 and r = -0.292, p = 0.02, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates that circulating IL-18 levels are not altered in male subjects with NAFLD. These results suggest that in the absence of metabolic risk factors, IL-18 per se may not be involved in the pathogenesis of NASH and SS.
Tapan
Serkan
S
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Gulhane School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. serkantapan7@yahoo.com
Dogru
Teoman
T
Kara
Muammer
M
Ercin
C Nuri
CN
Kilciler
Guldem
G
Genc
Halil
H
Sertoglu
Erdim
E
Acikel
Cengizhan
C
Kilic
Selim
S
Karslioglu
Yildirim
Y
Kurt
Ismail
I
Erbil
Mehmet K
MK
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
D052242:Adiponectin; D007328:Insulin; D020382:Interleukin-18