title: Circulating levels of interleukin-18 in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Gulhane School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. serkantapan7@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tapan
authors.forename: Teoman
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dogru
authors.forename: Muammer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.forename: C Nuri
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Ercin
authors.forename: Guldem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kilciler
authors.forename: Halil
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Genc
authors.forename: Erdim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sertoglu
authors.forename: Cengizhan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Acikel
authors.forename: Selim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Yildirim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Karslioglu
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: Mehmet K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Erbil
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D007328:Insulin; D020382:Interleukin-18