Open AccessSerum neuregulin 4 (NRG‐4) level and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): A case‐control study
Author(s) -
Tutunchi Helda,
Mobasseri Majid,
Aghamohammadzadeh Naser,
Hooshyar Jalil,
Naeini Fatemeh,
Najafipour Farzad
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of clinical practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.756
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1742-1241
pISSN - 1368-5031
DOI - 10.1111/ijcp.14555
Subject(s) - medicine , fatty liver , quartile , body mass index , triglyceride , gastroenterology , insulin resistance , nonalcoholic fatty liver disease , odds ratio , endocrinology , waist , confounding , homeostatic model assessment , cholesterol , disease , obesity , confidence interval
Objective The current case‐control study aimed to examine the association of circulating neuregulin 4 (NRG‐4), a brown fat‐enriched endocrine factor, with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods A total of 50 patients newly diagnosed with NAFLD with 50 age‐matched and sex‐matched subjects without NAFLD were recruited in the present study. Circulating NRG‐4 levels were assessed with an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. SPSS version 23 was used for statistical analysis. Results Patients with NAFLD had lower levels of circulating NRG‐4 than the control group ( P < .001). Participants in the highest quartile of circulating NRG‐4 had significantly lower body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), triglyceride (TG) and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) compared with those in the lowest quartile (all P < .01). The prevalence of NAFLD in the quartile 4 of the serum NRG‐4 level was 38.46%, lower than the quartile 1 (62.50%, P = .006), quartile 2 (52.00%, P = .017) and quartile 3 (48.00%, P = .032). In multiple stepwise regression analysis, BMI (β = −0.712, P = .016), WC (β = −0.577, P = .023), TG (β = −0.509, P = .001), high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) (β = 0.489, P = .001) and HOMA‐IR (β = −0.609, P = .003) were independently related to serum NRG‐4 level. The odds of NAFLD decreased by 41% per 1 SD increase in serum NRG‐4 level (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.35‐0.78; P = .021), after adjustment for all potential confounders. Conclusion The results of the present study demonstrate that circulating NRG‐4 levels may play a protective role in NAFLD.