Relationship of Liver Blood Tests and T1 Relaxation Time With Intra-pancreatic Fat Deposition

Abstract

Liver is well recognised as a metabolically active organ. While intra-pancreatic fat deposition (IPFD) is emerging as an important player in the whole-body metabolism, the interplay between the liver and IPFD has been poorly investigated. This study aimed to investigate the associations of liver blood tests and non-invasive tests for hepatic fibrosis with IPFD. Participants underwent a 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging to measure IPFD and map liver T1 (longitudinal relaxation time). Four liver tests were done on the same sample of blood. Hepatic fibrosis risk score (BARD) was calculated. Linear regression models were built, accounting for age, sex, visceral-to-subcutaneous fat ratio, and other covariates. A total of 143 individuals were studied. In the most adjusted model, alkaline phosphatase (P<0.001), alanine aminotransferase (P<0.001), and γ-glutamyl transferase (P=0.042) were significantly positively associated with IPFD. The BARD score was not significantly associated with IPFD in the most adjusted model (P=0.295). T1 relaxation time of the liver was not significantly associated with IPFD in the most adjusted model (P=0.782). Elevated alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyl transferase are associated with increased IPFD. Hepatic fibrosis does not appear to be associated with IPFD.