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. 2021 May 25;20(1):54.
doi: 10.1186/s12944-021-01483-z.

A correlation study of the relationships between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and serum triglyceride concentration after an oral fat tolerance test

Xiaoyu Hou #  1   2 , Yunpeng Guan #  1   2 , Yong Tang  2 , An Song  3 , Jiajun Zhao  4 , Luping Ren  2 , Shuchun Chen  2 , Limin Wei  2 , Huijuan Ma  2 , Guangyao Song  5   6
Affiliations

A correlation study of the relationships between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and serum triglyceride concentration after an oral fat tolerance test

Xiaoyu Hou et al. Lipids Health Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide. Triglyceride (TG) accumulation is central to NAFLD development. People now spend most of their day in the postprandial state, and the measurement of postprandial blood lipid concentration can make up for the lack of simple detection of fasting blood lipids. Postprandial triglyceride (PTG) is commonly used as a surrogate for postprandial blood lipid concentrations, and many studies have shown that PTG is a risk factor for NAFLD. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between PTG concentration during oral fat tolerance testing (OFTT) and NAFLD.

Methods: A total of 472 Chinese adults, aged 25 to 65 years, were enrolled in the study. All the participants underwent OFTT. The serum concentrations of TG and other lipids were measured, and their relationships with NAFLD were analyzed.

Results: Of the 472 participants, 155 were diagnosed with NAFLD. The fasting and postprandial TG concentrations of the participants with NAFLD were higher than those of healthy participants (P < 0.05). The TG concentrations of the healthy participants peaked 4 h postprandially, whereas those of the participants with NAFLD peaked 6 h postprandially and reached higher peak values. Postprandial TG concentration was significantly associated with a higher risk of NAFLD.

Conclusions: High PTG is positively related to a higher risk of NAFLD, and the PTG concentrations of patients with NAFLD are higher than in healthy individuals, with a delayed peak. Therefore, 4-h PTG may represent a potential marker of NAFLD.

Trial registration: ChiCTR1800019514 .

Keywords: Clinical study; Dyslipidemia; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Oral fat tolerance test; Postprandial lipidemia; Triglyceride.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Triglyceride concentrations at time points during oral fat tolerance test; A-Total; B-Female; C-Male. TG-triglyceride; NAFLD- nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Odds ratio of factors influencing NAFLD. A-Crude OR; B-Adjusted age and gender; C- Adjusted age, sex, fasting triglycerides and BMI; OR: odds ratio; 95%CI: 95% Confidence Interval; TG 2 h: triglyceride 2 h postprandially; TG 4 h: triglyceride 4 h postprandially
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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