title: Serum Sialic Acid Level Is Significantly Associated with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in a Nonobese Chinese Population: A Cross-Sectional Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between serum sialic acid (SA) levels and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a nonobese Chinese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed among the 5916 adults who took their annual health examinations at International Health Care Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, from December 2013 to November 2014.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 693 (11.71%) subjects fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of NAFLD, and NAFLD patients had significantly higher serum SA levels than controls (P < 0.001). The prevalence of NAFLD was positively associated with serum SA levels (P for trend <0.001). Serum sialic acid levels are significantly associated with features of metabolic syndrome (Ps < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum SA level was significantly associated with risk for NAFLD (odds ratio: 1.018, 95%; confidence interval: 1.007-1.030; P = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest for the first time that NAFLD patients had higher serum SA level than controls, and increased serum SA level is significantly associated with risk for NAFLD in a large nonobese Chinese population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
authors.forename: Zhenya
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
authors.forename: Chengfu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cen
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
authors.forename: Youming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid