Plasma IL-1 receptor antagonist levels correlate with the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Biomark Med. 2015;9(12):1301-9. doi: 10.2217/bmm.15.71. Epub 2015 Nov 19.

Abstract

Aim: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a liver disease characterized by lipid accumulation and inflammation. Here, we aimed to evaluate plasma IL-1Ra as a marker for NASH and to determine whether diagnosis of NASH can be further improved by adding IL-1Ra measurements.

Materials & methods: Therefore, plasma concentrations of IL-1Ra were measured from 146 subjects of a biopsy-proven NASH cohort with matched controls.

Results: NASH patients had higher levels of plasma IL-1Ra compared with patients with steatosis or healthy controls.

Conclusion: Our data confirm that IL-1Ra can be a useful tool in the diagnosis of hepatic inflammation and suggest that measuring plasma IL-1Ra levels in addition to ALT will improve the diagnosis for NASH at all stages of the disease.

Keywords: IL-1Ra; NASH; diagnosis; hepatic inflammation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / blood
  • Inflammation / complications
  • Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein / blood*
  • Liver / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / blood*
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / complications
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / diagnosis
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / pathology*
  • Obesity / blood
  • Obesity / complications
  • ROC Curve

Substances

  • IL1RN protein, human
  • Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein