Serum fetuin A level is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese population.

Objective: To investigate the association between serum fetuin A concentration and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Chinese population.

Methods: This case-control study enrolled 79 NAFLD cases and 79 non-NAFLD controls. All subjects were selected from Chinese population who received annual health examination in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University in 2016. NAFLD was diagnosed mainly based on abdominal ultrasonography. The severity of NAFLD was categorized by serum level of alanine aminotransferase. Serum fetuin A was measured by ELISA.

Results: Serum fetuin A level in NAFLD patients was significantly lower than that in controls (0.27±0.17 vs. 0.32±0.12g/L, P < 0.05). Compared with controls, mild NAFLD (0.24±0.16 g/L, P < 0.05) and moderate NAFLD (0.25±0.17 g/L, P < 0.05) had significantly lower concentration of Fetuin A, while Fetuin A level tended to slightly increase with the severity of NAFLD. The prevalence rate of NAFLD decreased (75 %, 40 %, and 36 %), as Fetuin A level elevated. ROC curve of Fetuin A was developed to predict the presence of NAFLD. Area under ROC was 0.656.

Conclusion: Serum level of Fetuin A was lower in NAFLD patients than controls, while Fetuin A level increased with the severity of NAFLD, indicating a potential predicting role of Fetuin A in the development of NAFLD.