Abstract

Hepatocyte fat accumulation is the hallmark of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a common metabolic liver condition. A liver-derived enzyme involved in lipid metabolism, lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) may be a biomarker of hepatic metabolic function. In order to determine the impact of NAFLD on this enzyme, the current study compared the serum levels of LCAT in NAFLD patients with matched controls. It also examined the relationship between LCAT and total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein-cholestrol (LDL-c), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), aspartate transaminase (AST), fibrosis-4 INDEX (FIB-4), triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol. Ninety people participated in a case-control study: forty-five NAFLD patients and forty-five age-, sex-, and BMI-matched controls. ELISA was used to determine the LCAT level. Clinical informations were  measured, including liver enzymes and  lipid profile. FIB-4 index was used for the evaluation of  the fibrosis risk, and transabdominal ultrasonography was utilized to grade steatosis. LCAT levels were considerably lower in NAFLD patients compared to those in the control group (p < 0.001). LCAT had significant negative correlation with LDL-c, AST, ALT, and the FIB-4 index. On the other hand, LCAT and HDL-c had a positive correlation. However