Xinting Pan1, Bingbing Chen1, Wenjuan Liu1, Yangfan Li1, Zhijian Hu1, Xu Lin2, Shanghua Xu3, Xian-E Peng4,5. 1. Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environment Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China. 2. Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China. 3. Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Nanping First Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Nanping, China. 4. Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Environment Factors and Cancer, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China, fmuxe@163.com. 5. Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China, fmuxe@163.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the associations between body iron stores and the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a Chinese population and explore whether this effect may be modified by other factors. METHODS: A 1: 1 frequency-matched case-control study was conducted, including 482 NAFLD cases and 490 gender- and age-matched controls. Serum levels of ferritin, hepcidin, and C-reactive protein were measured. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that hepcidin was not associated with NAFLD risk; however, elevated serum ferritin was significantly associated with increased risk of NAFLD (adjusted OR 1.619, 95% CI 1.158-2.267), and hepcidin:ferritin ratio was significantly associated with decreased risk of NAFLD -(OR-adjusted 0.702, 95% CI 0.501-0.984). When stratified by gender, a significant association was found between elevated serum ferritin and hepcidin:ferritin ratio and NAFLD only for women (ORadjusted 2.131, 95% CI 1.151-3.944 and ORadjusted 0.414, 95% CI 0.219-0.781, respectively). A significant multiplicative interaction between central obesity and elevated serum hepcidin was observed (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated serum ferritin and hepcidin:ferritin ratio are associated with NAFLD in a Chinese population. Although serum hepcidin is not associated with NAFLD, it may augment the risk effect of central obesity on NAFLD.
OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the associations between body iron stores and the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a Chinese population and explore whether this effect may be modified by other factors. METHODS: A 1: 1 frequency-matched case-control study was conducted, including 482 NAFLD cases and 490 gender- and age-matched controls. Serum levels of ferritin, hepcidin, and C-reactive protein were measured. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that hepcidin was not associated with NAFLD risk; however, elevated serum ferritin was significantly associated with increased risk of NAFLD (adjusted OR 1.619, 95% CI 1.158-2.267), and hepcidin:ferritin ratio was significantly associated with decreased risk of NAFLD -(OR-adjusted 0.702, 95% CI 0.501-0.984). When stratified by gender, a significant association was found between elevated serum ferritin and hepcidin:ferritin ratio and NAFLD only for women (ORadjusted 2.131, 95% CI 1.151-3.944 and ORadjusted 0.414, 95% CI 0.219-0.781, respectively). A significant multiplicative interaction between central obesity and elevated serum hepcidin was observed (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated serum ferritin and hepcidin:ferritin ratio are associated with NAFLD in a Chinese population. Although serum hepcidin is not associated with NAFLD, it may augment the risk effect of central obesity on NAFLD.