title: Serum progranulin as an independent marker of liver fibrosis in patients with biopsy-proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elevated progranulin levels are associated with visceral obesity, elevated plasma glucose, and dyslipidemia. Progranulin has not been previously investigated as a biomarker of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We sought to determine whether serum progranulin levels are altered in patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and if they are associated with their clinical, biochemical, and histological characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured serum progranulin levels in 95 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and 80 age- and sex-matched controls. The potential associations between progranulin and the characteristics of NAFLD patients were examined by multiple linear regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum progranulin levels were significantly higher in NAFLD patients (34 ± 13 ng/mL) than in controls (28 ± 7 ng/mL, P < 0.001). In NAFLD patients, serum progranulin levels were associated with lipid levels and the degree of hepatic fibrosis. After adjustment for potential confounders, serum progranulin remained an independent predictor of the degree of hepatic fibrosis in NAFLD patients (β = 0.392; t = 2.226, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with controls, NAFLD patients have higher serum progranulin concentrations, which are closely associated with lipid values and the extent of hepatic fibrosis.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, Marmara University, School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. yusufyilmaz@uludag.edu.tr
authors: Yusuf
authors: Y
authors: Yilmaz
authors: Fatih
authors: F
authors: Eren
authors: Oya
authors: O
authors: Yonal
authors: Zulfikar
authors: Z
authors: Polat
authors: Mohammad
authors: M
authors: Bacha
authors: Ramazan
authors: R
authors: Kurt
authors: Oguzhan
authors: O
authors: Ozturk
authors: Erol
authors: E
authors: Avsar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D016014:Linear Models; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D000077153:Progranulins; D012372:ROC Curve
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C492314:GRN protein, human; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D000077153:Progranulins