BackgroundInflammatory cytokines have been considered to be significant factors contributing to the development and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the role of inflammatory cytokines in NAFLD remains inconclusive.ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the association between inflammatory cytokines and NAFLD.MethodsPubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases were searched until 31 December 2021 to identify eligible studies that reported the association of inflammatory cytokine with NAFLD and its subtypes. We pooled odds ratios (ORs) and hazard risk (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and conducted heterogeneity tests. Sensitivity analysis and analysis for publication bias were also carried out.ResultsThe search in the databases identified 51 relevant studies that investigated the association between 19 different inflammatory cytokines and NAFLD based on 36,074 patients and 47,052 controls. The results of the meta-analysis showed significant associations for C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) with NAFLD (ORs of 1.41, 1.08, 1.50, 1.15 and 2.17, respectively). In contrast, we observed non-significant associations for interferon-γ (IFN-γ), insulin-like growth factor (IGF-II), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-5 (IL-5), interleukin-7 (IL-7), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-12 (IL-12), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) with NAFLD. Our results also showed that CRP, IL-1β, and TNF-α were significantly associated with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatic fibrosis.ConclusionsOur results indicated that increased CRP, IL‐1β, IL-6, TNF‐α, and ICAM-1 concentrations were significantly associated with increased risks of NAFLD. These inflammatory mediators may serve as biomarkers for NAFLD subjects and expect to provide new insights into the aetiology of NAFLD as well as early diagnosis and intervention.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as a public health issue with a prevalence of 15-30% in Western populations and 6-25% in Asian populations. Certain studies have revealed the alteration of microRNA (miRNA or miR) profiles in NAFLD and it has been suggested that miR-21 is associated with NAFLD. In the present study, we measured the serum levels of miR-21 in patients with NAFLD and also performed in vitro experiments using a cellular model of NAFLD to further investigate the effects of miR-21 on triglyceride and cholesterol metabolism. Furthermore, a novel target through which miR-21 exerts its effects on NAFLD was identified. The results revealed that the serum levels of miR-21 were lower in patients with NAFLD compared with the healthy controls. In addition, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-co-enzyme A reductase (HMGCR) expression was increased in the serum of patients with NAFLD both at the mRNA and protein level. To mimic the NAFLD condition in vitro, HepG2 cells were treated with palmitic acid (PA) and oleic acid (OA). Consistent with the results obtained in the in vivo experiments, the expression levels of miR-21 were decreased and those of HMGCR were increased in the in vitro model of NAFLD. Luciferase reporter assay revealed that HMGCR was a direct target of miR-21 and that miR-21 exerted an effect on both HMGCR transcript degradation and protein translation. Furthermore, the results from the in vitro experiments revealed that miR-21 decreased the levels of triglycerides (TG), free cholesterol (FC) and total cholesterol (TC) in the PA/OA-treated HepG2 cells and that this effect was attenuated by HMGCR overexpression. Taken together, to the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to report that miR-21 regulates triglyceride and cholesterol metabolism in an in vitro model of NAFLD, and that this effect is achieved by the inhibition of HMGCR expression. We speculate that miR-21 may be a useful biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD.

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Aims The objective of this study is to explore the association between documented diabetes, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and the clinical outcomes of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods This retrospective study included 255 patients with COVID-19. Of these, 214 were admitted to isolation wards and 41were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs). Demographic, clinical, treatment, and laboratory data were collected and compared between ICU and non-ICU patients. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to explore the risk factors associated with poor clinical outcomes (ICU admission or death). Results There were significant changes in several clinical parameters in ICU patients (leukopenia, lymphopenia, elevated D-dimer, as well as higher levels of FPG, cardiac troponin, serum ferritin, IL-6, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein)compared with non-ICU patients. The prevalence of known diabetes was substantially higher in ICU than non-ICU patients (31.7% vs. 17.8%, P = 0.0408). Multivariable regression analysis showed that a history of diabetes [odds ratio (OR), 0.099; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.016–0.627; P = 0.014], high FPG at admission (OR, 1.587; 95% CI, 1.299–1.939, P < 0.001), high IL-6 (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.002–1.018, P = 0.013), and D-dimer higher than 1 mg/L at admission (OR, 4.341; 95% CI, 1.139–16.547, P = 0.032) were independent predictors of poor outcomes. Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that compared with FPG < 7 mmol/L, FPG levels of 7.0–11.1 mmol/L and ≥ 11.1 mmol/L were associated with an increased hazard ratio (HR) for poor outcome (HR, 5.538 [95% CI, 2.269–13.51] and HR, 11.55 [95% CI, 4.45–29.99], respectively). Conclusion Hyperglycemia and a history of diabetes on admission predicted poor clinical outcomes in COVID-19.