Objective: Previous studies have assessed serum fetuin-B and its relation to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and as a link between them through inducing insulin resistance (IR). Therefore, we examined the potential of serum fetuin-B to be an independent marker for NAFLD in patients with T2DM.
Patients and methods: The study group consisted of 270 patients with T2DM. Clinical and laboratory features were evaluated. The NAFLD severity was graded by ultrasound into three subgroups: grade 0 (no fatty liver), grade 1 (mild fatty liver), and grade 2-3 (medium to severe fatty liver). Fetuin-B, retinol-binding protein-4, and adiponectin were measured.
Results: Patients with grade 2-3 NAFLD had high fetuin-B levels in comparison with non-NAFLD group. Age and sex adjusted fetuin-B demonstrated positive correlations with triglycerides, γ-glutamyl transferase, fasting plasma glucose, 2-h postprandial plasma glucose, homeostasis model assessment of IR, fasting insulin, glycated hemoglobin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and estimated glomerular filtration rate, but it had a negative correlation with serum creatinine. Adiponectin level was decreased with increasing NAFLD severity, but no difference was found in retinol-binding protein-4. The estimated odds ratio (OR) for the occurrence of grade 2-3 NAFLD was increased significantly with increasing levels of fetuin-B (OR: 3.92; 95% confidence interval: 2.14-8.32 vs. OR: 8.91; 95% confidence interval: 4.22-18.41). The OR of fetuin-B in the uppermost tertile group was still significant after controlling for homeostasis model assessment of IR, glycated hemoglobin, waist circumference, BMI, hepatic enzymes, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.
Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that serum fetuin-B had an independent association with NAFLD in patients with T2DM.