Serum ANGPTL2 and ANGPTL3 as potential biomarkers for diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Purpose: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease that has a serious effect on worldwide public health. We sought relationships among ANGPTL2, ANGPTL3, and ANGPTL6 with NAFLD metabolic and biochemical parameters, to assess their potential as diagnostic tools for NAFLD. Materials and Methods: Serum levels of ANGPTL2, ANGPTL3, and ANGPTL6 in NAFLD patients (n = 52) and non-NAFLD participants (n = 51) were quantified by ELISA. The utility of ANGPTLs as biomarkers for NAFLD prediction was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: Serum ANGPTL2 levels were increased (P = 0.0102), serum ANGPTL3 levels were decreased (P < 0.0001), and ANGPTL6 levels did not change (P = 0.3174) in 52 patients with NAFLD when compared to 51 participants without NAFLD. The areas under the ROC curves for ANGPTL2 and ANGPTL3 were 0.647 and 0.746, respectively. When two factors were jointly analyzed, the area under the ROC curve for ANGPTL2 and ANGPTL3 was 0.773. Conclusion: ANGPTL2 and ANGPTL3 levels may be novel and important predictors of NAFLD severity.