Should Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Be Included in the Definition of Metabolic Syndrome? A Cross-Sectional Comparison With Adult Treatment Panel III Criteria in Nonobese Nondiabetic Subjects
Response to Musso et al.
- Silvia Sookoian, MD, PHD13,
- Adriana L. Burgueño, MSC2,
- Gustavo Castaño, MD, PHD3 and
- Carlos J. Pirola, PHD2
- 1Laboratory of Clinical and Molecular Hepatology, Institute of Medical Research, A. Lanari, University of Buenos Aires-CONICET, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- 2Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Biology of Complex Diseases, Department of Vasoactive Substances, Institute of Medical Research, A. Lanari, University of Buenos Aires-CONICET, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- 3Research Council of GCBA, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Corresponding authors: Silvia Sookoian, MD, PhD and Carlos J. Pirola, PhD, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas A. Lanari-CONICET, Combatiente de Malvinas 3150, Buenos Aires (1427), Argentina. E-mail: ssookoian{at}lanari.fmed.uba.ar and carlospirola{at}ciudad.com.ar
The importance of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its relation to metabolic syndrome is now increasingly recognized, as recent data suggest that NAFLD predicts insulin resistance more accurately than Adult Treatment Panel III criteria (1). NAFLD is linked to increased cardiovascular risk and endothelial dysfunction, as fatty liver is an independent predictor of increased intima-media thickness. Plasma soluble intracellular adhesion molecule (sICAM-1) levels are elevated in atherosclerotic syndromes, and elevated sICAM-1 levels have been associated with endothelial dysfunction.
sICAM-1 (Diaclone, France) was measured in 118 NAFLD patients with different stages of disease …
