Abstract:
Introduction: Recently, highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), as a marker of inflammation in the liver, has
received much attention in the study of MASLD, a metabolically associated fatty liver disease. However, the factors
influencing increased synthesis of hsCRP have not been studied.
Aim: To explore the possibility of using lipid and uric acid indicators as factors reflecting the level of hsCRP in
patients with hepatic steatosis.
Methods: We examined 48 patients with liver steatosis diagnosed based on ultrasound. hsCRP, as well as total
cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, VLDL, and uric acid, were determined in all patients. Patients were divided
into two groups depending on the level of hsCRP. The first group included patients with a level of hsCRP ≤ 1.0 mg/l;
the second group - ˃ 1.0 mg/l. The first group consisted of 19 patients (12 men and 7 women), with an average age
of 54.2±3.1 years, and the second group – 29 patients (13 men and 16 women), average age of 55.8±2.6 years. The
groups did not differ in age, BMI, or presence of concomitant diseases. The difference between the studied indicators
was studied by average arithmetic mean and standard error of the arithmetic mean, the correlation analysis was carried
out by studied with the determination of the correlation coefficient (r).
Results: We found that the level of uric acid, triglycerides and VLDL in patients of the II group was significantly
(p<0.01) higher compared to the patients of the I group and was for uric acid (378,7±14,2 μMol/l vs. 295,8±17,9
µMol/L), triglycerides (2,8±0,69 mMol/L vs. 1,32±0,19 mMol/L) and VLDL (0,94±0,19 mMol/L vs. 0,51±0,09
mMol/L) respectively. No differences were found between other investigated indicators (p˃0.05). We established a
correlation between hsCRP and the level of uric acid (r = 0.34), between hsCRP and the level of triglycerides (r = 0.51)
and between hsCRP and the level of VLDL (r = 0.47). For the rest of the indicators, no correlations were established
(p˃0.05).
Conclusions: According to the study results, it was established that in patients with liver steatosis, the increased level
of hsCRP depends on the triglycerides, VLDL and uric acid levels in the blood plasma.
