Background

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a rapidly progressive disease and nowadays is the main cause of chronic liver disease in children and adults. This study aimed to investigate serum and mRNA levels of retinol-binding protein‐4 (RBP‐4) in obese Egyptian children vs adults and to assess its correlation with susceptibility and progression of NAFLD.

Methods: The study comprised 50 obese patients (25 adults and 25 children) and 50 healthy controls. All participants were subjected to full clinical, anthropometric, and biochemical assessment. . liver steatosis was assessed by the controlled attenuation parameter component. Fatty liver indexes and hepatic steatosis index were calculated. RBP‐4 mRNA and serum levels were tested.

Results: Our results revealed significantly higher values of serum RBP-4 and its mRNA levels in obese groups compared to control groups. In obese pediatric patients, the serum RBP‐4 and its mRNA levels were elevated in the NAFLD patients (75.1±4.8 and 6.2±4.5, respectively) in comparison to the non-NAFLD group (56.2±1.9, and 4.6±0.14, respectively), P <0 .001. Additionally, in the obese adult group, the serum RBP‐4 and its mRNA values were significantly higher in the NAFLD obese group (75.5±3.5 and 6.3±3.7, respectively) in comparison to the non-NAFLD group (56.5±15.4, and 4.2±0.13, respectively). Obesity indices and hepatic and metabolic dysfunction parameters were significantly positively correlated with serum RBP‐4 and its mRNA values in obese groups.

Conclusion: RBP-4 mRNA and serum levels are higher in obese patients compared to controls, particularly in NAFLD patients. RBP-4 mRNA and serum RBP-4 could be non-invasive biomarkers of NAFLD.