Serum Neuregulin 4 (Nrg-4) Level and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (Nafld): A Case-Control Study Publisher Pubmed



Tutunchi H^{1, 2} ; Mobasseri M¹ ; Aghamohammadzadeh N¹ ; Hooshyar J¹ ; Naeini F³ ; Najafipour F¹
Source: International Journal of Clinical Practice Published:2021

Abstract

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. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd