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Liver enzymes and markers of inflammation in Nigerian adults with metabolic syndrome

Aims and objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the plasma levels of the liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in people with metabolic syndrome and to determine the association between the liver enzymes and obesity, insulin resistance, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in adult Nigerians with metabolic syndrome. Materials and Methods: This was a case control study of 50 adult men and women with metabolic syndrome, and 50 age- and sex-matched males and females without metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome was defined based on the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)-Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII) criteria. Written informed consent was obtained from the participants. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Venous blood was collected after an overnight fast. The ethics committee of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria, approved the study protocol. Comparison of continuous variables was done using the student's t-test. Regression and correlation analysis were used to determine the associations between variables. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: There was a statistically significant increase in the liver enzymes ALP (P = 0.031), ALT (P = 0.019), and GGT (P = 0.037), as well as in the inflammatory markers CRP (P = 0.019) and the cytokine IL-6 (P = 0.040) between the two study groups. ALP and ALT showed significant correlation with waist circumference, BMI, fasting insulin, and waist/hip ratio (P < 0.05). Multivariate regression also identified ALT, AST, and ALP to be associated with IL-6 and CRP (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Liver enzyme levels were increased in metabolic syndrome and associated with obesity, fasting insulin, and CRP. Elevated liver enzymes may indicate dysmetabolism and increased cardiovascular risk in Nigerian adults with metabolic syndrome.