The association between diverse serum folate with MAFLD and liver fibrosis based on NHANES 2017-2020

Jiacheng Cai; Dahua Chen; Wenjing Luo; Feng Xu; Xiaofeng Feng; Liangshun Zhang; Huiwei Liu; Jianwei Shen; Hua Ye

doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1366843

The association between diverse serum folate with MAFLD and liver fibrosis based on NHANES 2017-2020

Front Nutr. 2024 Mar 19:11:1366843. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1366843. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Jiacheng Cai¹, Dahua Chen¹, Wenjing Luo¹, Feng Xu¹, Xiaofeng Feng¹, Liangshun Zhang¹, Huiwei Liu¹, Jianwei Shen¹, Hua Ye¹

Affiliation

¹ The Affiliated Lihuili Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.

Abstract

Background: Metabolically Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) marks a progression from the previous paradigm of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), presenting a redefined diagnostic framework that accentuates metabolic factors while recognizing non-alcoholic contributors. In our investigation, our principal aim was to scrutinize the conceivable correlation between diverse serum folate levels and the prevalence of MAFLD and liver fibrosis.

Methods: In our investigation, we conducted an extensive analysis utilizing data derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) across the years 2017-2020. We aimed to investigate the association between different serum folate concentrations and the prevalence of MAFLD and liver fibrosis by comprehensive multivariate analysis. This analytical approach considered various variables, encompassing sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, hypertension, and diabetes. By including these potential confounders in our analysis, we aimed to ensure the stability of the findings regarding the association between different serum folate concentrations and the development of MAFLD and liver fibrosis.

Results: In our investigation, we utilized multiple linear regression models to thoroughly analyze the data, revealing noteworthy insights. Evidently, elevated levels of both total folate and 5-MTHF exhibited a distinct negative correlation with CAP, while 5-MTHF demonstrated a notable negative correlation with LSM. Furthermore, multiple logistic regression models were employed for an in-depth examination of the data. As the concentrations of total folate and 5-MTHF in the serum increased, a substantial decrease in the likelihood of MAFLD and liver fibrosis occurrence was observed.

Conclusion: The findings of this investigation robustly suggest the prevalence of MAFLD and liver fibrosis decreased significantly with the increase of serum concentrations of total folate and 5-MTHF.

Keywords: 5-MTHF; MAFLD; NHANES; liver fibrosis; total folate.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was funded by the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. LGF19H030006 and LQ20H030001), Ningbo Science and Technology Project (No. 2019C50100), Ningbo Clinical Medicine Research Center Project (No. 2019A21003), the Major Special Science and Technology Project of Ningbo City (2022Z128), and the Medical and Health Science and Technology Program of Zhejiang Province (2024KY1477).