Table 1.
Potential Biomarkers for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
| Biomarkers & biomarker candidates | Type/origin | Changes in NAFLD steatosis | Correlations and changes in other NAFLD-related conditions | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adiponectin | Adipokine | ↓ | ↓ in inflammation ↓ in fibrosis |
(63) |
| Chemerin | Adipokine | ↑ | – | (64, 65) |
| Leptin | Adipokine | ↑ | ↑ in inflammation ↑ in fibrosis |
(66) |
| Resistin | Adipokine | ( ↑ ) | ( ↑ ) in inflammation ( ↑ ) in fibrosis |
(67) |
| Visfatin | Adipokine | ↑ | ( ↑ ) in inflammation ( ↑ ) in fibrosis |
(68, 69) |
| Leptin/adiponectin ratio | Adipokine | ↑ NAFLD > obese children |
positively correlates with triglyceride | (70) |
| Irsin | Adipokine | ↑ | ( ↑ ) in inflammation ( ↑ ) in fibrosis |
(71, 72) |
| Fetuin- A, α2-HS-glycoprotein (AHSG) | Hepatokine | ↑ | positively correlates with HOMA-IR (insulin resistance index) | (73, 74) |
| Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) | Hepatokine | ↑ | positively correlates with hepatic fat fraction and hepatic triglycerides | (75–77) |
| Selenoprotein P (SeP) | Hepatokine | ↑ in children ↓ in adults |
negatively correlates with adiponectin | (77–79) |
| Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) | Hepatokine | ↓ | – | (77) |
| Leukocyte derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2) | Hepatokine | ↑ | ↑ in insulin resistance | (80, 81) |
| Cathepsin D (CatD) | Hepatokine | ↓ | ↓ in inflammation | (82) |
| Adropin | Hepatokine | ↓ | – | (83) |
| Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) | Hepatokine, Adipokine | ↓ | ↓ in insulin resistance & T2DM | (84) |
| Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) | Inflammatory cytokine | ↑ | ↑ in inflammation ↑ in fibrosis |
(85, 86) |
| Zonulin | Intestinal peptide | ↑ NAFLD > obese children |
↑ in inflammation & NASH |
(87, 88) |
| Interleukin-18 (IL-18) | cytokine | ↑ NAFLD > obese children |
– | (89) |
↑ indicates marker increase; ↓ indicates marker decrease. NAFLD, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; NASH, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; T2DM, type II diabetes mellitus; HOMA-IR, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance.