Change of Serum Ghrelin Concentration According to Severity of Hepatosteatosis

Abstract

Purpose: Recently, ghrelin was reported to be associated with insulin resistance. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition in which insulin resistance relatively plays a pivotal role. The aim of this study was to evaluate change of serum ghrelin concentration according to severity of hepatosteatosis. Methods: Sixty five apparently normal male adults who underwent health screen examinations were classified into three groups, Group I: normal liver (27 subjects), Group II: mild fatty liver (24 subjects) and Group III: moderate to severe fatty liver (14 subjects), according to ultrasonographic findings of liver. We analyzed the association between serum ghrelin concentration and severity of hepatosteatosis by ANOVA test. And the independent correlation between serum ghrelin concentration and insulin resistance related factors, HOMA (homeostatic model assessment), BMI (body mass index), WC (waist circumference), HC (hip circumference), WHR (waist to hip circumference ratio) were analyzed by multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Serum ghrelin concentration tended to decrease according to severity of hepatosteatosis (Group I: 230.9±94.3, Group II: 195.2±97.2, Group III: 164.3±71.4 pmol/L). But this was statistically insignificant (p = 0.081). The independent correlation between serum ghrelin concentration and insulin resistance related factors were not observed. Conclusions: Our study did not prove the correlation between insulin resistance related factors and serum ghrelin concentration in NAFLD according to severity of hepatosteatosis. However, we found tendency to decrease of serum ghrelin concentration according to severity for hepatosteatosis. So, further studies were required for certification these correlations.