Fatty pancreas: an initial indicator of ectopic fat deposition and metabolic syndrome

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic steatosis is fat accumulation in the pancreatic gland without fat replacement, this excessive pancreatic lipid content may enter a continuous vicious cycle of hydrolysis and fatty acid re-esterification thereby generating toxic intermediates, which may induce β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis. Several studies were made to study whether these fat depositions are harmful or inert. This study aimed to assess the implications of fat deposition in pancreas on pancreatic β-cell functions in obese patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We included 200 obese female subjects with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 and age (25-50 years) who visited an obesity clinic in Mansoura Specialized Medical hospital after exclusion of any medical conditions or taking drugs which affect lipid metabolism or beta cell function. The subjects were further subdivide fatty pancreatic group including 136 female subjects with ages range from 25 to 52 years old and non-fatty pancreatic group including 64 female subjects with ages range from 23 to 45 years old. All subjects were subjected to anthropometric measurement including height, weight, BMI, WC and laboratory investigations including lipid profile and HBA1C, oral glucose tolerance with measurement of glucose and insulin at 0,30,60 and 120 minutes with calculation of insulin sensitivity and resistance indices. RESULTS: We found that a significant increase in BMI, WC, total cholesterol, LDL-C,TG and glucose and a significant decrease in HDL-C in fatty pancreas group compared to non-fatty pancreas group. Fatty pancreas had negative correlation with β cell functions in the form of decrease insulin secretion and decrease in insulin sensitivity in the form of decrease DI and IGI and increase in HOMA-IR. We found also no relation between fatty liver and fatty pancreas.