title: Serum thrombopoietin levels in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe thrombopoietin (TPO) levels in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed between November 2010 and March 2011 at the Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Fatih University, Ankara, Turkey. A total of 60 consecutive  patients with ultrasound proven NAFLD (study group), and 28 healthy volunteers (control study) were included in the study. The patient group was divided into 3 subgroups according to the ultrasonographic images as follows: minimal, intermediate, and marked hepatosteatosis. The TPO levels of the patient subgroups were compared with the healthy controls.  All the data were collected prospectively, and recorded in FUHIS data collecting system, which is  produced by our data-knowledge team. Quantitative measurements of thrombopoietin level were carried out by using the Human Thrombopoietin Quantikine ELISA Kit (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thrombopoietin levels were significantly increased in the patient subgroups compared with the controls. The TPO levels were also higher in the patient subgroup of grade 1-nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (grade 1- NAFLD) compared with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TPO increased in patients with NAFLD possibly as an acute phase reactant to decreased inflammation. In clinical practice, physicians should be alerted to increased TPO levels in patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Fatih University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ozlem S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Balcik
authors.forename: Derya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Akdeniz
authors.forename: Handan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cipil
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikizek
authors.forename: Sema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uysal
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kosar
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yigitoglu
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D013926:Thrombopoietin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D013926:Thrombopoietin