title: Obesity-independent association of human adenovirus Ad37 seropositivity with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adenoviruses Ad36 and Ad37 increase adiposity in animals and are associated with obesity in humans; effects on the liver have been reported. The association of Adenovirus Ad36 seropositivity (Ad36+) with obesity but not with the severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been previously shown. We investigate whether nondiabetic Ad37+ patients show a different prevalence of NAFLD and ultrasound Bright Liver score.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 268 adult nondiabetic patients (146 men, 122 women) were included after lifestyle counseling including a personalized Mediterranean diet, increase in physical activity, and smoking withdrawal. After an Ad37+/Ad36+ assay, overweight obesity, insulin resistance, C-reactive protein, and bright liver prevalence and severity were compared according to Ad37+.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-five of 268 patients were Ad37+ and 82/268 patients were both Ad37 seronegative (Ad37-) and Ad36-. The prevalence of obesity, defined as body mass index≥30, was not significantly different in Ad37+ (11/65; 16.9%) vs. Ad37- (15/82; 18.2%) patients; Bright Liver was present in 22/65 (33.8%) Ad37+ patients vs. 13/82 (15.8%) Ad37- patients (P<0.019). By odds ratio (OR), a consistent risk for NAFLD was associated with Ad37+, greater insulin resistance, and C-reactive protein. By a predictive multiple linear regression model, 40.0% of variance toward NAFLD and 50.4% toward the severity of Bright Liver score was explained significantly and independently by Ad37+ and by body mass index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ad37+ status in nondiabetic patients on an appropriate diet is significantly associated with NAFLD; because fatty liver improves even without weight loss by a "healthy" diet, and not only by lower food caloric intake, Ad37+ may be an adjunctive hallmark of an unfavorable clinical-metabolic profile, if not a causative factor of NAFLD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Diagnostica e Terapia Medica, Universitá di Catania, Catania, Italy. guglielmotrovato@unict.it
authors.forename: Guglielmo M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Trovato
authors.forename: Giuseppe Fabio
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Martines
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pirri
authors.forename: Francesca M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Trovato
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garozzo
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Catalano
mesh_terms: D000258:Adenovirus Infections, Human / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D000260:Adenoviruses, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016540:Smoking Cessation
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein