Evaluation of Pro-Inflammatory Markers IL-6 and TNF-a and their Correlation with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a condition in which excess fat accumulates in the liver of a patient with no history of alcohol abuse or other causes for secondary hepatic steatosis. The pathogenesis of NAFLD and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) has not been fully elucidated. Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) consists of a complex spectrum of diseases, ranging from asymptomatic steatosis with possible aminotransferase alterations to Non-Alcoholic Steato-Hepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and also hepatocellular carcinoma. Pro inflammatory cytokines like IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α play a major role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. These cytokines also play a crucial role in the development of insulin resistance, which is a key factor in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. There is limited data on the association of IL-6 and TNF-α with NAFLD from India. Hence, we aim to assess the correlation of IL-6 and TNF-α with NAFLD. Materials and Methods: It was a cross sectional observational study which was conducted on 40 cases of NAFLD and 40 healthy controls. All relevant investigations and serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were measured. Statistical analysis was done using Pearson chi-square/ fisher exact test, student t-test (un-paired). Pearson correlation test was used to see the relationship between the variables. Result: The serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α correlated significantly with NAFLD with a p-value of <0.001. The serum levels of IL-6 showed a significant correlation with the severity of NAFLD (p<0.001), but the same was not seen with TNF-α. Conclusion: Our study showed significant correlation of TNF-α and IL-6 with NAFLD, which suggested a proven role of these pro-inflammatory markers in the pathogenesis of this disease as shown in past studies. In future target-based therapy is new field of research.