RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SERUM PTX3, OPN, AND RESISTIN LEVELS AND THE SEVERITY OF STEATOSIS AND RELATED FIBROSIS IN PATIENTS WITH NONALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE

Xing Gao^1*, Xinrao Liu², Zhenzhen Qin³

¹Department of Laboratory, the Sixth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 

100048, China - ²Department of Gastroenterology, First Medical Center, PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China - ³Department of Emergency, the Sixth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China

Objective: To analyze the relationship between serum pentameric protein 3 (PTX3), osteopontin (OPN), and resistin levels and the severity of steatosis and related fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). 

Methods: A total of 147 patients with NAFLD admitted to our hospital from January 2019 to January 2020 were enrolled in the observation group and divided into a mild group (n = 52), a moderate group (n = 49), and a severe group (n = 46) according to the number of fatty liver lesions found in histopathological examinations. Forty healthy individuals who received health checkups at our hospital during the same period were recruited in the control group. In the morning within 24 hours of being admitted to the study, 10-ml fasting blood samples were drawn from each participant. The levels of serum PTX3, OPN, and resistin of each participant were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the levels of NAFLA fibrosis indicators such as procollagen III (PC III), hyaluronic acid (HA), type IV collagen (PC IV), and laminin (LN) were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The correlation of serum PTX3, OPN, and resistin levels with NAFLD-related fibrosis was analyzed using Spearman rank correlation, and the risk factors of steatosis in patients with NAFLD were investigated using logistic regression analysis. 

Results: In the observation group, the levels of OPN and resistin were significantly higher than those in the control group, but the PTX3 levels were significantly lower; in the moderate and severe groups, the levels of OPN and resistin were significantly higher than those in the mild group, but the PTX3 levels were significantly lower; and in the severe group, the levels of OPN and resistin were significantly higher than those in the moderate group, but the PTX3 levels were significantly lower, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Regarding the PC III, HA, PC IV, and LN levels, in the observation group, they were significantly higher than those in the control group; in the moderate and severe groups, they were significantly higher than those in the mild group; and in the severe group, they were significantly higher than those in the moderate group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). According to the Spearman analysis, the levels of PC III, HA, PC IV, and LN were negatively correlated with PTX3 (r = -0.482, -0.516, -0.471, and -0.519, respectively; P<0.05 or <0.01) and positively correlated with OPN (r = 0.584, 0.463, 0.491, and 0.516, respectively; P<0.05 or <0.01) and resistin (r = 0.425, 0.468, 0.512, and 0.472, respectively; P<0.05 or <0.01). The findings of the logistic regression analysis show that PTX3 is an independent protective factor affecting steatosis in patients with NAFLD (P<0.05) and that OPN and resistin are PTX3 independent risk factors affecting steatosis in patients with NAFLD (P<0.05). 

Conclusions: The levels of PTX3, OPN, and resistin in the serum of patients with NAFLD are abnormally expressed and change according to the severity of steatosis. They have a certain correlation with the related fibrosis indicators in patients with NAFLD, which may support the diagnosis and evaluation of the disease.