Abstract
Neurotensin (NT), an intestinal peptide able to promote fat absorption, is implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity. Increased levels of pro-NT, a stable NT precursor fragment, have been found in subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), however whether higher pro-NT levels are associated with an increased NAFLD risk independently of other metabolic risk factors is unsettled. Ultrasound-defined presence of NAFLD was assessed on 303 subjects stratified into tertiles according to fasting pro-NT levels. The longitudinal association between pro-NT levels and NAFLD was explored on the study participants without NAFLD at baseline re-examined after 5 years of follow-up (n = 124). Individuals with higher pro-NT levels exhibited increased adiposity, a worse lipid profile and insulin sensitivity as compared to the lowest tertile of pro-NT. Prevalence of NAFLD was progressively increased in the intermediate and highest pro-NT tertile as compared to the lowest tertile. In a logistic regression analysis adjusted for several confounders, individuals with higher pro-NT levels displayed a raised risk of having NAFLD (OR = 3.43, 95%CI = 1.48-7.97, P = 0.004) than those in the lowest pro-NT tertile. Within the study cohort without NAFLD at baseline, subjects with newly diagnosed NAFLD at follow-up exhibited higher baseline pro-NT levels than those without incident NAFLD. In a cox hazard regression analysis model adjusted for anthropometric and metabolic parameters collected at baseline and follow-up visit, higher baseline pro-NT levels were associated with an increased risk of incident NAFLD (HR = 1.52, 95%CI = 1.017-2.282, P = 0.04). Higher pro-NT levels is a predictor of NAFLD independent of other metabolic risk factors. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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