Fetuin A in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: in vivo and in vitro studies
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Fetuin A has been associated with insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome. We therefore explored the role of fetuin A in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
DESIGN: Cross-sectional and intervention studies.
METHODS: We included 111 subjects with histologically proven NAFLD of whom 44 participated in a randomized, controlled trial with metformin. One hundred and thirty-one healthy subjects and 13 subjects undergoing hepatic surgery for metastatic cancer served as controls. Main outcome variables were circulating levels of fetuin A according to the presence of NAFLD, hepatic gene expression of fetuin A and key enzymes in glucose and lipid metabolism, and the effect of metformin on fetuin A levels in vivo and in vitro (HepG2 cells).
RESULTS: Fetuin A levels were significantly higher in NAFLD patients compared with controls (324 ± 98 vs 225 ± 75 mg/l, P<0.001). NAFLD was a significant predictor of elevated fetuin A levels (β=174 (95% confidence interval: 110-234)) independent of body mass index, age, sex, fasting glucose, and triglycerides. Hepatic fetuin A mRNA levels correlated significantly with hepatic mRNA levels of key enzymes in lipid (sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1) and glucose (phosphoenol pyruvate kinase 1, glucose-6-phosphatase) metabolism. Plasma fetuin A levels decreased significantly after metformin treatment compared with placebo (-40 ± 47 vs 15 ± 82 mg/l, P = 0.008). Metformin induced a…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 111 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Metformin as an adjuvant in breast cancer treatment
- Metformin Lysosomal Targeting: A Novel Aspect to Be Investigated for Metformin Repurposing in Neurodegenerative Diseases?
- Aberrant HSF1 signaling activation underlies metformin amelioration of myocardial infarction in mice
- Metformin induces ZFP36 by mTORC1 inhibition in cervical cancer-derived cell lines
- Protein Interaction Network for Identifying Vascular Response of Metformin (Oral Antidiabetic)
- Preventing Long COVID With Metformin
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.