title: Association between vascular inflammation and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Analysis by18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Growing evidence suggests that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with cardiovascular disease as well as metabolic syndrome. FDG-PET is a novel imaging technique that detects vascular inflammation, which may reflect rupture-prone vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques.
  
  
  METHODS
  Vascular inflammation was measured as the maximum target-to-background ratio (maxTBR), along with various cardiometabolic risk factors in 51 subjects with NAFLD, and compared with 100 age- and gender-matched subjects without NAFLD. The liver attenuation index (LAI), which was measured using computed tomography, was used as a parameter for the diagnosis of NAFLD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for age and sex, both maxTBR and LAI values were associated with several cardiometabolic risk parameters. Furthermore, there was a significant inter-relationship between LAI and maxTBR values (r=-0.227, P=0.005). Individuals with NAFLD had higher maxTBR values than those without NAFLD (P=0.026), although their carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) values did not differ. The proportion of subjects with NAFLD showed a step-wise increment following the tertiles of maxTBR values (P for trend=0.015). In multiple logistic regression analysis, maxTBR tertiles were independently associated with NAFLD after adjusting for age, gender, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, glucose, BUN, creatinine and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (P=0.030). However, their relationship was attenuated after further adjustment for waist circumference or high sensitive C-reactive protein.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with NAFLD have an increased risk for vascular inflammation as measured via FDG-PET/CT even without difference in CIMT. (Clinical trials No. NCT01958411, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/).
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chang Hee
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sungeun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Soon Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ho Cheol
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hae Yoon
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sin Gon
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Nan Hee
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sei Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Baik
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Seop
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: medica7@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kyung Mook
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: Inflammation; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Positron emission tomography