title: Liver fat content is associated with an increase in cholesterol synthesis independent of statin therapy use in patients with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: We investigated how liver fat content (LFC) influences cholesterol metabolism by quantifying liver fat using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and by measuring the serum concentrations of lathosterol, a marker of cholesterol synthesis, and sitosterol and campesterol, two markers of cholesterol absorption. We also evaluated whether this relationship could be modified by statin therapy. The study was conducted in 263 patients with type 2 diabetes, 137 of whom (52.0%) received statin therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and sixty-five patients (62.7%) had steatosis (LFC>5.5%). We performed specific analyses in patients without statin therapy and in patients treated with statin therapy. In both groups, the lathosterol to cholesterol ratio correlated positively with LFC, and in multivariate analysis, the lathosterol to cholesterol ratio was associated with LFC independently of age, gender and BMI. Sitosterol and campesterol concentrations were not associated with LFC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that in patients with type 2 diabetes, LFC is associated with an increase in cholesterol synthesis that is independent of obesity or diabetes mellitus. Statin therapy does not modify this relationship.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche INSERM Unité 866, CHU du Bocage, BP 77908, 21079 Dijon Cedex, France. marie-claude.brindisi@chu-dijon.fr
authors.forename: Marie-Claude
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Brindisi
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guiu
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duvillard
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Athias
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rollot
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bouillet
authors.forename: Maud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beacco
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hillon
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cercueil
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Verges
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Petit
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016014:Linear Models; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D012855:Sitosterols / Q000097:blood; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D010840:Phytosterols; D012855:Sitosterols; C021273:campesterol; C025473:gamma-sitosterol; C001521:lathosterol; D002784:Cholesterol