Case Control Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Diabetes. Mar 15, 2024; 15(3): 418-428
Published online Mar 15, 2024. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v15.i3.418
Predictive value of angiopoietin-like protein 8 in metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and its progression: A case-control study
Lu-Lu Gan, Can Xia, Xuan Zhu, Yue Gao, Wen-Chang Wu, Qi Li, Ling Li, Zhe Dai, Yi-Min Yan
Lu-Lu Gan, Can Xia, Xuan Zhu, Yue Gao, Wen-Chang Wu, Yi-Min Yan, Medical College, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
Lu-Lu Gan, Qi Li, Ling Li, Yi-Min Yan, Department of Endocrinology, Xiaogan Hospital Affiliated with Wuhan University of Science and Technology, The Central Hospital of Xiaogan, Xiaogan 432000, Hubei Province, China
Zhe Dai, Department of Endocrinology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
Author contributions: Gan LL participated in the study design and wrote the manuscript; Yan YM conducted the design of the study and reviewed/edited the drafts, and is guarantor; Gan LL, Zhu X, Xia C, Gao Y and Wu WC collected and analyzed the data; Li Q, Li L and Dai Z revised the manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted article.
Supported by Youth Talents Project of Joint Fund of Hubei Health Commission, No. WJ2019H170; and Xiaogan Natural Science Project, No. XGKJ2020010033.
Institutional review board statement: The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of Xiaogan Central Hospital (Approval No. XGLY2021-08-01).
Informed consent statement: All study participants or their legal guardian provided informed written consent about personal and medical data collection prior to study enrolment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Data sharing statement: The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available, but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yi-Min Yan, MD, Deputy Director, Department of Endocrinology, Xiaogan Hospital Affiliated with Wuhan University of Science and Technology, The Central Hospital of Xiaogan, No. 6 Plaza Street, Xiaogan 432000, Hubei Province, China. yanyimin180@163.com
Received: October 28, 2023
Peer-review started: October 28, 2023
First decision: December 23, 2023
Revised: January 5, 2024
Accepted: February 18, 2024
Article in press: February 18, 2024
Published online: March 15, 2024
Processing time: 138 Days and 17.3 Hours
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is now recognized as a prevalent global chronic liver disorder, standing as the primary contributor to end-stage liver disease and cardiovascular complications. This condition imposes a significant economic burden on public health. Previous research has elucidated the pivotal role of angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPTL8) in the pathogenesis and progression of MAFLD, showcasing variations across different disease stages. Understanding ANGPTL8's involvement in MAFLD development informs early intervention strategies and aids in reducing mortality.

Research motivation

This study was motivated by the need for a convenient laboratory indicator facilitating the early identification of MAFLD and dynamic monitoring of its progression. Providing early intervention strategies for MAFLD patients is crucial to delay disease progression and reduce mortality.

Research objectives

The primary objective of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of serum ANGPTL8 levels between individuals with and without MAFLD, investigating the predictive value of ANGPTL8 in relation to MAFLD development and progression.

Research methods

In this cross-sectional study, 160 patients were enrolled, with 80 (50%) diagnosed with MAFLD. MAFLD patients were further categorized into hepatic fibrosis and non-hepatic fibrosis groups based on the fibrosis-4 index. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves were employed to explore the impact and predictive ability of serum ANGPTL8.

Research results

Compared with the non-MAFLD group, serum ANGPTL8 levels and the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index were significantly elevated in the MAFLD group, positively correlated with MAFLD. The combined ANGPTL8 and TyG index showed high predictive accuracy for MAFLD. Similarly, in the liver fibrosis group, both ANGPTL8 and the TyG index were significantly increased, positively correlated with liver fibrosis, with robust predictive accuracy for MAFLD-associated liver fibrosis.

Research conclusions

Serum ANGPTL8 appears pivotal in the pathogenesis and progression of MAFLD, emerging as a potential biomarker for predicting both MAFLD and its associated hepatic fibrosis. The combined assessment of serum ANGPTL8 levels and the TyG index enhances predictive accuracy. Understanding the underlying mechanisms linking ANGPTL8 with MAFLD provides valuable insights for early diagnosis, risk stratification, and timely intervention, ultimately alleviating the burden of this disease.

Research perspectives

Future studies should consider expanding sample sizes and incorporating liver biopsy and other methods to distinguish MAFLD-related liver fibrosis. Longitudinal studies are necessary to analyze serum ANGPTL8 changes at each MAFLD stage, confirming the relationship between serum ANGPTL8 and the occurrence and progression of MAFLD.