Irisin is inversely associated with intrahepatic triglyceride contents in obese adults.

Background & Aims Obesity is closely related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which has become an important public health problem because of its high prevalence and association with metabolic syndromes. Irisin was recently identified as a novel peptide to improve obesity and glucose homeostasis, and considered to be therapeutic for human metabolic diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the association of serum irisin concentration and liver triglyceride contents in obese Chinese adults. Methods Serum irisin levels were measured and liver fat contents determined by 1 H MRS in 296 obese adults. Anthropometric parameters and blood biochemical indexes including liver enzymes, glucose, and lipid profiles were detected. The liver triglyceride contents of subjects were measured by 1 H MRS. The protein levels of irisin were determined by quantitative ELISA. Results We found that serum irisin levels were reduced in obese adults with NAFLD. By dividing the distribution of intrahepatic triglyceride (IHTG) contents into quartiles, serum irisin levels were reduced gradually with the increase of IHTG contents ( p p Conclusions These results demonstrated that serum irisin concentrations were inversely associated with the triglyceride contents in the liver and liver enzymes in obese Chinese adults.