Huang Zixi, Liu Hualong, Zhuo Wen, Chen Yuliang, Huang Ying, Chen Xin, Lu Teng, Xu Zhenyan
Department of General Practice, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China.
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, China.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 2;15(1):443. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-84709-1.
Liver enzymes are associated with liver function, but their relationship with body mass index (BMI) remains unclear. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify correlations between serum liver enzyme levels and BMI in the general population. The data were derived from the Dryad Digital Repository. Smooth curve and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations between BMI and serum liver enzyme levels. A total of 15,464 participants, including 8430 males (54.5%), were included in the study, with a median age of 43.7 years. Smooth curve regression revealed that BMI followed U-shaped curves with respect to serum levels of liver enzymes (AST, ALT, and GGT). For AST serum levels, the turning points were BMI = 19.0 and 23.3 kg/m; for ALT serum levels, the inflection points were BMI = 19.0 and 23.1 kg/m; and for GGT serum levels, the inflection point was BMI = 19.5 kg/m. In addition, stratified analysis revealed that sex, fatty liver, and smoking status as covariates modified the associations between BMI and AST and ALT serum levels in participants with higher BMIs (all interactions P < 0.01). Specifically, in the higher BMI range, the positive associations between BMI and liver enzymes were more robust in men (AST and ALT), participants with fatty liver disease (AST and ALT), and participants with a history of smoking (AST, ALT, and GGT). Interestingly, alcohol consumption modified the association between BMI and GGT serum levels, regardless of BMI. Our study is the first to identify a U-shaped association between BMI and serum levels of liver enzymes in the general population, which suggests a new target for regulating liver enzyme levels.
肝脏酶与肝功能相关，但其与体重指数（BMI）之间的关系尚不清楚。这项横断面研究旨在确定普通人群中血清肝酶水平与BMI之间的相关性。数据来自Dryad数字知识库。进行了平滑曲线和多元线性回归分析，以评估BMI与血清肝酶水平之间的关联。共有15464名参与者纳入研究，其中包括8430名男性（54.5%），中位年龄为43.7岁。平滑曲线回归显示，BMI与血清肝酶水平（AST、ALT和GGT）呈U形曲线关系。对于AST血清水平，转折点为BMI = 19.0和23.3kg/m；对于ALT血清水平，拐点为BMI = 19.0和23.1kg/m；对于GGT血清水平，拐点为BMI = 19.5kg/m。此外，分层分析显示，作为协变量的性别、脂肪肝和吸烟状况改变了高BMI参与者中BMI与AST和ALT血清水平之间的关联（所有交互作用P < 0.01）。具体而言，在较高BMI范围内，BMI与肝酶之间的正相关在男性（AST和ALT）、患有脂肪肝病的参与者（AST和ALT）以及有吸烟史的参与者（AST、ALT和GGT）中更为显著。有趣的是，无论BMI如何，饮酒都改变了BMI与GGT血清水平之间的关联。我们的研究首次确定了普通人群中BMI与血清肝酶水平之间的U形关联，这为调节肝酶水平提供了一个新靶点。
