Body mass index and the visceral adipose tissue expression of IL-6 and TNF-alpha are associated with the morphological severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in individuals with class III obesity

• Published in: Obesity research & clinical practice Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: Jorge, Antônio Sérgio Barcala, Andrade, João Marcus Oliveira, Paraíso, Alanna Fernandes, Jorge, Gislaine Candida Batista, Silveira, Christine Mendes, de Souza, Ludmilla Regina, Santos, Erivelton Pereira, Guimaraes, André Luiz Sena, Santos, Sérgio Henrique Sousa, De-Paula, Alfredo Maurício Batista
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2018
• Subjects: Anthropometric factors; Class III obesity; Endocrinology & Metabolism; Internal Medicine; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Proinflammatory cytokines; Real-time-PCR; Anthropometric factors; Proinflammatory cytokines; Real-time-PCR; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Class III obesity
• ISSN: 1871-403X; 1878-0318
• DOI: 10.1016/j.orcp.2016.03.009

Summary Objectives To analyze the mRNA expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the liver and white adipose tissue samples of individuals with class III obesity (body mass index ≥40.0 kg/m2 ) with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods This cross-sectional study included patients with class III obesity exhibiting early or late morphological presentation of NAFLD (non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis [NAFL], n = 8 and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH], n = 13, respectively). All patients underwent bariatric surgery and peripheral blood, liver, and visceral white adipose tissue (WAT) samples were collected. Socio-demographic, anthropometric, clinical, plasma biochemical, and nutritional characteristics of each study subject were assessed and compared between patients presenting with NAFL and NASH. IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA expression in the liver and WAT samples were measured by using quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results Individuals with class III obesity and NASH showed higher body mass index (BMI) and higher IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA expression in the WAT compared to that of patients with NAFL ( p = 0.01, for all associations). Conclusions Individuals with class III obesity with higher morphological severity of NAFLD exhibited higher BMI and higher IL-6 and TNF-α expression in the WAT. Future prospective studies are warranted to determine how BMI, IL-6, and TNF-α affect the progression of NAFLD in individuals with class III obesity.