A matched cross-sectional study on the association of serum uric acid and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

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Objective: To analyze the relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Chinese population.
Methods: This was a matched cross-sectional study with 2000 health check-up subjects (1000 cases with NAFLD vs. 1000 age and sex matched controls) who were treated in Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University in 2011.Anthropometric parameters, metabolic factors, and serum biochemical parameters were collected and recorded for all 2000 study participants. The subjects were categorized as NAFLD group and non-NAFLD group. NAFLD was diagnosed based on abdominal ultrasonography examination results, and alcohol consumption less than 140g/week and 70g/week for men and women respectively in the absence of other causes of liver disease.
Results: The study included a total of 1000 NAFLD subjects paired with age- and sex-matched controls. NAFLD patients had significantly higher SUA levels than controls (349.90 ± 65.30 vs. 318.50 ± 69.00μmol/L, P<0.001).The prevalence rate (PR %) of NAFLD was significantly increased with progressively higher SUA levels (χ2=29.76, P<0.001). According to Conditional logistic regression analysis results, hyperuricemia was found to be an independent risk factor for NAFLD (odds ratio [OR]: 1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.16-1.53, P<0.001). The results of ANOVA test shows different levels of SUA between different grades of fatty liver (men: χ2=4.45, P=0.004; women: χ2=7.76, P<0.001).
Conclusion: SUA level is significantly associated with the presence of NAFLD, and increased SUA level is an independent risk factor for NAFLD.