sRAGE is associated with low waist circumference and Hb levels in NAFLD

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and the receptor RAGE interaction is involved in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Although exogenously administered soluble RAGE (sRAGE) has been shown to block the harmful effects of AGEs in animal models, there is still controversy about the role of sRAGE in humans. We examined here which anthropometric, metabolic and clinical variables were independent correlates of sRAGE levels in NAFLD patients. The study involved 77 biopsy-proven, unmedictaed NAFLD patients (44 male and 33 female) with a mean age of 43.4±13.0 years old. We examined which anthropometric, metabolic and clinical variables, including liver steatosis and fibrosis markers, are independently associated with serum levels of sRAGE. Mean serum levels of sRAGE were 710.7±290.2 pg/mL. Univariate analysis revealed that waist circumference (inversely), hemoglobin (inversely), number of white blood cells (inversely), total-bilirubin (inversely), free fatty acid (inversely), ferritin (inversely), and HbA1c (inversely) were significantly correlated with serum levels of sRAGE. In multiple stepwise regression analysis, waist circumference (p<0.01, inversely) and hemoglobin (p<0.01, inversely) were independently associated with serum levels of sRAGE (R²=0.176). The present study reveals that low serum levels of sRAGE are independently associated with waist circumference and hemoglobin in patients with NAFLD.