title: High liver RBP4 protein content is associated with histological features in patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C and with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the hepatic expression of retinol-binding protein-4 (RBP4) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients, and its association with biochemical and histological patterns of liver damage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-six genotype 1 CHC and 32 NASH patients were tested for hepatic RBP4 expression. Liver expression at immunostaining was scored as 0 (slight), 1 (mild), 2 (moderate), and 3 (intense). In addition, the mRNA and the quantitative protein expressions of RBP4 were tested by PCR and by western blot, respectively, in 12 NASH and 28 CHC patients. Twelve subjects undergoing elective cholecystectomy served as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten (31%), 16 (50%) and 6 (19%) NASH patients, and 21 (32%), 31 (47%) and 14 (21%) CHC patients had scores of 1, 2 and 3, respectively. All control subjects scored 0. In both CHC and NASH liver RBP4 scores were directly related to western blot (p=0.001 and p=0.03), not to mRNA expression (p=0.77 and p=0.40). Older age (OR, 1.07; 95%CI, 1.01-1.13), RBP4 score (4.26; 1.27-14.21) and HOMA (2.26; 1.15-4.42) were independently associated with steatosis≥10% in CHC patients. In NASH lobular inflammation (OR, 3.77; 95%CI, 1.01-24.22) and RBP4 score (4.87; 1.003-23.65) were the only risk factors for fibrosis ≥2 at logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatic storage of RBP4, unrelated to its expression, could cause liver damage both in NASH and CHC.
authors.affiliation: Sezione di Gastroenterologia, DiBiMIS, University of Palermo, Italy. petsa@inwind.it
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petta
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tripodo
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grimaudo
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cabibi
authors.forename: Calogero
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cammà
authors.forename: Antonietta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Cristina
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Marco
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Vita
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ingrao
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazzola
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marchesini
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pipitone
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Craxì
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma / Q000378:metabolism*; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: C101326:RBP4 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma