title: Serum fatty acid synthase concentration is increased in patients with hepatitis viral infection and may assist in the prediction of liver steatosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Liver steatosis is frequent in patients with chronic hepatitis viral infections. Intracellular fatty acid synthase (FASN) seems to play a substantial role in its pathogenesis. FASN can also be found in circulation and is significantly increased in HIV-infected individuals, especially if they are co-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether serum FASN concentration is also increased in patients with chronic hepatitis viral infections and its relationship with liver steatosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples and associated data were obtained from stored collections in our institutions from patients with chronic infections with either hepatitis B virus (HBV, cHB, n=60), HCV (cHC, n=81) or co-infection (n=29).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of liver steatosis was significantly (p<0.001) different among groups (23.7% in cHB, 34.2% in cHC and 69.2% in co-infected). A similar trend was observed for changes in serum ALT [in μKat/L, 1.41 (0.08), 1.62 (0.08) and 1.95 (0.16) respectively; p=0.02] and serum FASN [in ng/mL, 9.44 (1.28), 16.38 (1.93) and 31.47 (4.26) respectively; p<0.001]. Serum FASN concentration was related to the degree of liver steatosis, and was correlated with serum ALT values when the whole group was considered (ρ=0.207; p=0.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum FASN concentration is significantly increased in patients with chronic hepatitis viral infections and correlated with the degree of liver steatosis. These findings may represent a basis for further studies searching non-invasive biomarkers with either diagnostic or prognostic value.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recerca Biomèdica, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain. jorge.joven@urv.cat
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Joven
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Espinel
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rull
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beltrán-Debón
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aragonès
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Gallego
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Camps
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pedro-Botet
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sans
authors.forename: Javier A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Menéndez
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alonso-Villaverde
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D054890:Fatty Acid Synthase, Type I / Q000097:blood*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044967:Serum / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C518729:FASN protein, human; D054890:Fatty Acid Synthase, Type I