Publication
Title
NASH-related increases in plasma bile acid levels depend on insulin resistance
Author
Abstract
Background & Aims: Plasma bile acids (BAs) have been extensively studied as pathophysiological actors in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, results from clinical studies are often complicated by the association of NASH with type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity, and insulin resistance (IR). Here, we sought to dissect the relationship between NASH, T2D, and plasma BA levels in a large patient cohort. Methods: Four groups of patients from the Biological Atlas of Severe Obesity (ABOS) cohort (Clinical Trials number NCT01129297) were included based on the presence or absence of histologically evaluated NASH with or without coincident T2D. Patients were matched for BMI, homeostatic model assessment 2 (HOMA2)-assessed IR, glycated haemoglobin, age, and gender. To study the effect of IR and BMI on the association of plasma BA and NASH, patients from the HEPADIP study were included. In both cohorts, fasting plasma BA concentrations were measured. included. In both cohorts, fasting plasma BA concentrations were measured. Results: Plasma BA concentrations were higher in NASH compared with No-NASH patients both in T2D and NoT2D patients from the ABOS cohort. As we previously reported that plasma BA levels were unaltered in NASH patients of the HEPADIP cohort, we assessed the impact of BMI and IR on the association of NASH and BA on the combined BA datasets. Our results revealed that NASH-associated increases in plasma total cholic acid (CA) concentrations depend on the degree of HOMA2-assessed systemic IR, but not on b-cell function nor on BMI. Conclusions: Plasma BA concentrations are elevated only in those NASH patients exhibiting pronounced IR. Lay summary: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a progressive liver disease that frequently occurs in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Reliable markers for the diagnosis of NASH are needed. Plasma bile acids have been proposed as NASH biomarkers. Herein, we found that plasma bile acids are only elevated in patients with NASH when significant insulin resistance is present, limiting their utility as NASH markers. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL).
Language
English
Source (journal)
JHEP Reports
Publication
2021
ISSN
25895559
DOI
10.1016/J.JHEPR.2020.100222
Volume/pages
3 :2 (2021) , 11 p.
Article Reference
100222
ISI
000648941700009
Pubmed ID
33615207
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
IMMUNOBILE: Bile acid, immune-metabolism, lipid and glucose homeostasis
RESOLVE: A systems biology approach to RESOLVE the molecular pathology of two hallmarks of patients with metabolic syndrome and its co-morbidities; hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL-cholesterol
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 28.06.2021
Last edited 03.10.2024
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