Liver Fatty Acid-Binding Protein as a Diagnostic Marker for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Abstract Background NAFLD is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the developed world and represents a spectrum of diseases with some patients developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) are a family of small and highly conserved lipid chaperone molecules with highly varied functions. Different members of the FABP family exhibit unique patterns of tissue expression and are expressed most abundantly in tissues involved in active lipid metabolism in hepatocytes, adipocytes and cardiac myocytes, where fatty acids are prominent substrates for lipid biosynthesis, storage or breakdown, the respective FABPs make up between 1% and 5% of all soluble cytosolic proteins. In the hepatic lobule, L-FABP is expressed in hepatocytes in a declining gradient from portal to central location. L-FABP is a protein involved in multiple biologic functions, such as intracellular fatty acid transport, cholesterol and phospholopid metabolism, which plays an important facilitative role in hepatic fatty acid oxidation. Some studies reported that L-FABP level is increased in NAFLD. Therefore, it is preferable to use effective noninvasive methods in clinical practice for identifying NAFLD, tracking disease processes, and monitoring treatment effects. Many studies demonstrated that serological markers are beneficial as noninvasive tools for diagnosis of NAFLD. This study was conducted to determine whether serum L-FABP has a diagnostic value as a marker for NAFLD. Patients and Methods We enrolled in this study 80 consecutive patients with NAFLD who were diagnosed with Ultrasonography and Fibroscan with CAP. The control group consisted of 20 healthy control subjects matched for age and gender. Serum levels of L-FABP were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results L-FABP levels in NAFLD patients were higher than in the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion Serum L-FABP could be considered as a reliable non-invasive marker for detection of NAFLD.