Association Between Liver Vitamin A Reserves and Severity of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in the Class III Obese Following Bariatric Surgery

Abstract

Oxidative stress plays a role in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) pathogenesis and may increase con sumption of vitamin A for antioxidant purposes. It is hypoth esized that drops in vitamin A concentration induce liver disease progression and increase hepatocellular carcinoma risk. The aim of this study was to assess concentrations of serum and liver retinol in the class III obese and correlate them with the histological diagnosis of NAFLD Methods The sample group was composed of 68 class III obese (body mass index, BMI≥40 kg/m2 ) males and females who underwent bariatric surgery for treating obesity. Concentrations of serum and liver retinol were determined using high performance liquid chromatography. The cutoff values used to denote inadequate serum and liver retinol stores were <1.05 μmol/L and ≤20 μg/g, respectively. Anthropometric measurements were taken, and NAFLD was diagnosed via histological assessment. Results All the patients had some degree of NAFLD. Inade quate concentrations of serum and liver retinol were found in 35.9 and 67.9 % of them, respectively. A significant associa tion was found between liver retinol concentrations and the histological classification of the disease (p <0.001). No such association was found for serum retinol. Conclusions This study confirms the association between liver retinol and degree of NAFLD, underscoring the need for further research in this area, to identify which patients might benefit from supplementation of vitamin A.