Shorter Leukocyte Telomere Length in Relation to Presumed Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Mexican-American Men in NHANES 1999-2002.

Janet M Wojcicki,Philip Rosenthal,Elissa Epel,David Rehkopf

doi:10.1155/2017/8435178

Abstract

Leukocyte telomere length is shorter in response to chronic disease processes associated with inflammation such as diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2002 was used to explore the relationship between leukocyte telomere length and presumed NAFLD, as indicated by elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, obesity, or abdominal obesity. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between telomere length and presumed markers of NAFLD adjusting for possible confounders. There was no relationship between elevated ALT levels, abdominal obesity, or obesity and telomere length in adjusted models in NHANES (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.48–2.65; OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.52–2.62, resp.). Mexican-American men had shorter telomere length in relation to presumed NAFLD (OR 0.07, 95% CI 0.006–0.79) and using different indicators of NAFLD (OR 0.012, 95% CI 0.0006–0.24). Mexican origin with presumed NAFLD had shorter telomere length than men in other population groups. Longitudinal studies are necessary to evaluate the role of telomere length as a potential predictor to assess pathogenesis of NALFD in Mexicans.

Highlights

Latinos are at high risk for specific complications from obesity including NAFLD [1] and insulin resistance compared with other population groups with the prevalence being higher in Latinos of Mexican and Central American origin than Latinos of Caribbean origin [2]
We evaluate the role of leukocyte telomere length in presumed NAFLD in a population of US adults from two cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) that tested leukocyte telomere length, with a focus on the relationship between telomere length and liver disease stratified by ethnic and racial background and gender
Mexican ethnicity interacted with telomere length indicating shorter telomere lengths for presumed NAFLD in Mexicans and the other/mixed race and telomere length interaction term indicates shorter telomere length for presumed NAFLD in this population group (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Latinos are at high risk for specific complications from obesity including NAFLD [1] and insulin resistance compared with other population groups with the prevalence being higher in Latinos of Mexican and Central American origin than Latinos of Caribbean origin [2]. Previous research has demonstrated that there is a clear genetic component (variants of the gene PNPLA3, I148M) to increased risk for NAFLD in Latinos of Mexican and Central American background [3]. The variant increases risk for women, not men, and Mexican and Central American origin Latinos men are at higher risk for NAFLD than women [3]. The addition of genetic markers to predict risk for NAFLD does not improve discriminatory ability of common clinical risk factors, suggesting the need for other biomarkers beyond genetic variants [4]

Methods

Results

Conclusion