Normal Glucose Tolerance In Patients With Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Changes And The Significance Of Sex Hormone Binding Globulin

Objective:To observe changes and significance of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels in people with normal glucose tolerance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).Methods:Sixty patients with NAFLD and sixty normal controls were recruited randomly in the study. All the patients with NAFLD were composed of mild (n=42), moderate to severe (n=18) categories. Height, body weight, waist circumference, hip- circumference, fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin (FINS), total cholesterol, triglyceride and SHBG were measured. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were calculated. Glucose tolerance test were done to exclude diabetes. We analyzed the differences between groups.Results:Compared with the control group, BMI, WHR, triglycerides and HOMA-IR in the NAFLD group significantly increased (P< 0.01), and SHBG level significantly decreased (P< 0.01). There were no difference in age and total cholesterol between NAFLD group and control group (P>0.05), HOMA-IR, triglycerides and FINS in moderate to severe NAFLD group increased in comparison with those in the mild NAFLD group (P< 0.05～0.01). There were no difference with the others index(P>0.05). The results of the logistic regression analysis showed that BMI was the risk factor (OR= 3.045, P<0.05), and SHBG was the protective factor (OR=0.725, P< 0.05).Conclusions:Patients with NAFLD are associated with low SHBG levels and obese. The low levels of SHBG may be the biochemical indexes of NAFLD. It is important to reduce weight and raise SHBG levels for relieving NAFLD.