Visceral adipose tissue and inflammation correlate with elevated liver tests in a cohort of overweight and obese patients

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity 2010-05, Vol.34 (5), p.899-907
• Main Authors: Verrijken, A, Francque, S, Mertens, I, Talloen, M, Peiffer, F, Gaal, L. Van
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/699/1503/1607/2750; 692/699/2743/393; 692/700/139; Adipose tissue; Adipose tissues; Adult; alanine transaminase; Alanine Transaminase - metabolism; alkaline phosphatase; Alkaline Phosphatase - metabolism; anthropometric measurements; Anthropometry; Aspartate Aminotransferases - metabolism; aspartate transaminase; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - metabolism; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Body fat; Body mass index; C-reactive protein; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Cardiovascular disease; Computed tomography; Diabetes; Diagnosis; Endocrinology; Epidemiology; Fatty Liver - metabolism; Female; gamma-glutamyl transferase; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Health aspects; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammation - metabolism; Insulin resistance; Internal Medicine; Intra-Abdominal Fat - metabolism; Liver; Liver diseases; Liver Function Tests; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; men; Metabolic Diseases; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; Obesity; Obesity - enzymology; Obesity - metabolism; original-article; Other diseases. Semiology; Overweight; Overweight - enzymology; Overweight - metabolism; Overweight persons; pathogenesis; patients; Physiological aspects; Predictive Value of Tests; Proteins; Public Health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Thyroid gland; Tomography; visceral fat; Weight control; women
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2010.4

Objective: To study the relationship between elevated liver tests and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), as potential markers of liver inflammation and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), with anthropometric and laboratory parameters in overweight patients, especially the relationship with visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Methods: Patients presenting to the obesity clinic were prospectively included. Detailed anthropometry, computed tomography (CT)-measured VAT, liver tests (aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)) and hs-CRP were assessed, along with an extended series of biochemical parameters. Results: All 480 patients (gender distribution male (M)/female (F) (10/90%)) with complete data were included. Mean age was 39±13 years, mean BMI 34.5±6.0 kg m−2. In 37.3% of the patients one or more of the liver tests were elevated. VAT was positively related to AST (r=0.18, P