Selenoprotein P and Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a disease spectrum that includes simple steatosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis, has been increasingly recognized as the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Both inflammation and insulin resistance are considered to be pivotal pathogenic mechanisms of NAFLD, as well as metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis. There is mounting evidence implicating adipokines secreted from adipose tissue in the pathogenesis and progression of NAFLD, in addition to the development of insulin resistance and inflammation. Selenoprotein P (SeP) has recently been reported as a novel hepatokine that regulates insulin resistance and systemic energy metabolism in rodents and humans. Although previous studies have shown a close relationship among insulin resistance, inflammation, and NAFLD, as far as we know, there is no previous report evaluating the association between SeP and NAFLD. In the present study, we examined serum SeP levels in subjects with increased visceral fat area (VFA) or liver fat accumulation measured with computed tomography (CT). We evaluated the relationship between SeP levels and cardiometabolic risk factors.