Low skeletal muscle mass is associated with more severe histological features of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in male.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Although low skeletal muscle mass is associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), it is currently uncertain whether there are associations between weight-adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM%), severity of histological features of NAFLD, and the patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 polymorphism. Our aim was to test for a possible influence of the PNPLA3 rs738409 variant on the association between ASM% and severity of NAFLD histological features.

METHODS

We enrolled 401 Chinese male with biopsy-proven NAFLD. Using a bioelectrical-impedance body composition analyzer (BIA, Inbody 720, Japan Inc., Tokyo), we calculated the ASM% as the percentage of total appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM, kg)/total body mass (kg) × 100.

RESULTS

Compared to those with high ASM%, patients with low ASM% (≤ 30.6, i.e., the median value of distribution of the whole sample) had a greater severity of individual histological features of NAFLD. These patients also had a higher risk of severe steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) (adjusted-odds ratio [OR] 2.34, 95% CI 1.39-3.93, and adjusted-OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.30-3.77) even after adjusting for age, body mass index, diabetes, and serum creatinine levels. Carriage of the G allele of PNPLA3 rs738409 plus low ASM% was associated with a higher risk of severe steatosis and presence of liver fibrosis (OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.46-6.26, p = 0.003 and OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.03-4.60, p = 0.041 respectively), and there was a non-significant but borderline increased risk of NASH (OR 2.00, 95% CI 0.98-4.06, p = 0.056).

CONCLUSIONS

Low ASM% and the presence of a G allele within PNPLA3 rs738409 is associated with more severe histological features of NAFLD.