title: The relationship of circulating fetuin-a with liver histology and biomarkers of systemic inflammation in nondiabetic subjects with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fetuin-A, a glycoprotein with anti-inflammatory properties, plays an important role in counter-regulating inflammatory responses. It has also been associated with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. We aimed to investigate circulating concentrations of fetuin-A and its possible association with hepatic and systemic inflammation in nondiabetic subjects with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 105 nondiabetic male subjects with NAFLD [nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH, n = 86) and simple steatosis (SS, n = 19)]. Plasma levels of fetuin-A and markers of inflammation [high-sensitive C reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and adiponectin] were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Insulin sensitivity was determined by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fetuin-A was negatively correlated with age (r = -0.27, P = 0.006), however there was no association between fetuin-A and body mass index, waist circumference (WC), glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, lipid parameters, and inflammatory markers. In addition, no significant association was observed between fetuin-A and histological findings including liver fibrosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that plasma fetuin-A levels are not correlated with the hepatic histology and systemic markers of inflammation in nondiabetic subjects with NAFLD. Our data also suggested that age is significantly associated with fetuin-A in this clinically relevant condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Gulhane School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gurkan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Celebi
authors.forename: Halil
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Genc
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gurel
authors.forename: Erdim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sertoglu
authors.forename: Muammer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tapan
authors.forename: Cengizhan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Acikel
authors.forename: Yildirim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Karslioglu
authors.forename: Cemal Nuri
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Ercin
authors.forename: Teoman
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dogru
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D016014:Linear Models; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C556354:AHSG protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein; D002097:C-Reactive Protein