BMC Gastroenterology (Nov 2008)

Plasma Pentraxin3 is a Novel Marker for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

  • Saito Satoru,
  • Kubota Kensuke,
  • Kobayashi Noritoshi,
  • Nozaki Yuichi,
  • Inamori Masahiko,
  • Kirikoshi Hiroyuki,
  • Takahashi Hirokazu,
  • Iida Hiroshi,
  • Mawatari Hironori,
  • Yoneda Kyoko,
  • Fujita Koji,
  • Endo Hiroki,
  • Kato Shingo,
  • Uchiyama Takashi,
  • Yoneda Masato,
  • Maeyama Shiro,
  • Sagara Mina,
  • Aburatani Hiroyuki,
  • Kodama Tatsuhiko,
  • Nakajima Atsushi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-230X-8-53
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 1
p. 53

Abstract

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Abstract Background The changes in the liver in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) range over a wide spectrum, extending from steatosis to steatohepatitis (NASH). However it has remained difficult to differentiate between NASH and non-progressive NAFLD on the basis of the clinical findings alone. Aims In this study we investigated the clinical usefulness of plasma Pentraxin3 (PTX3) levels to predict NASH. Plasma PTX3 was measured in 70 patients with histologically verified NAFLD (28 with non-NASH and 42 with NASH) and 10 healthy control subjects. Results The plasma PTX3 level was significantly higher in the NASH cases than in the non-NASH cases (p = 0.0021) and control subjects (p = 0.045). And the plasma PTX3 level was significantly higher in the stages 3–4 NAFLD cases than in the stages 0–2 NAFLD cases (p Conclusion This is the first study to demonstrate consistent and profound elevation of plasma PTX3 levels in NASH in comparison with non-NASH. The results suggest that plasma PTX3 levels may not only be laboratory values that differentiate NASH from non-NASH, but marker of the severity of hepatic fibrosis in NASH.