title: Serum osteopontin levels as a predictor of portal inflammation in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteopontin is a secreted phosphorylated glycoprotein that is expressed by a variety of cell types and that mediates numerous and diverse biological functions. Osteopontin knockout mice are protected from obesity-induced hepatic steatosis. In the present study, we sought to investigate whether serum osteopontin concentrations are associated with liver histology in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of osteopontin were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 179 well-characterized patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver referred for liver histology and 123 control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum osteopontin levels were markedly higher in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease than in controls (p<0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that osteopontin levels were strongly and independently associated with both portal inflammation (β=0.294, p<0.01) and serum aminotransferase levels (aspartate aminotransferase: β=0.295, p<0.01; alanine aminotransferase; β=0.285, p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In summary, these data demonstrate that serum levels of osteopontin are elevated in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and are a significant independent predictor of portal inflammation in this clinical entity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. dryusufyilmaz@gmail.com
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Oguzhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Yesim Ozen
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Alahdab
authors.forename: Ebubekir
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Senates
authors.forename: Yasar
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Colak
authors.forename: Hamdi Levent
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Doganay
authors.forename: Ender
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coskunpinar
authors.forename: Yasemin Musteri
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Oltulu
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eren
authors.forename: Ozlen
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Atug
authors.forename: Ilyas
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tuncer
authors.forename: Nese
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Imeryuz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000097:blood*; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D053495:Osteopontin; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase