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Retinol and α-Tocopherol in Morbid Obesity and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

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Abstract

Background

We aimed to study serum retinol and α-tocopherol in a cohort of obese patients and their possible association with several obesity-related conditions, given that the former may be implicated in a diminished capacity of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential in obese patients.

Methods

Eighty patients with morbid obesity participated in the study. Many clinical and biochemical variables were measured including serum retinol, α-tocopherol, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentrations. Fatty liver was detected by ultrasonography.

Results

Both serum retinol and α-tocopherol inversely correlated with body mass index (r = −0.334, P = 0.002 and r = −0.299, P = 0.007, respectively). Serum retinol inversely correlated with AST (r = −0.236, P = 0.036) and ALT (r = −0.241, P = 0.032). Multivariate regression analyses confirmed these results after correcting for the effects of other variables. Eighty-five percent of patients had fatty liver. When restricting the analysis to them, multivariate regression identified male sex (β = 0.451, P = 0.003), age (β = −0.275, P = 0.039), and serum retinol concentrations (β = −0.414, P = 0.005) as predictive variables on serum AST (R 2 = 0.230, F = 3.408, P = 0.009) and male sex (β = 0.448, P = 0.003), age (β = −0.236, P = 0.046), insulin resistance determined by homeostasis model assessment (β = 0.243, P = 0.050), and serum retinol concentrations (β = −0.305, P = 0.022) as predictive variables on serum ALT (R 2 = 0.296, F = 5.817, P = 0.001).

Conclusion

Serum retinol and α-tocopherol concentrations are inversely associated with body mass index in morbid obesity, and serum retinol is also inversely associated with serum concentrations of transaminases in those patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

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Acknowledgements

The present study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Grants Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria PI020741, PI050341, and 050551, RGDM G03/212, and REDIMET 06/0015/0007.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Obesity Surgery, Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Carretera de Colmenar Km. 9.1, 28034, Madrid, Spain

    José I. Botella-Carretero, José A. Balsa & Clotilde Vázquez

  2. Unit of Obesity Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain

    Roberto Peromingo

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28034, Madrid, Spain

    Manuela Díaz-Enriquez

  4. Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28034, Madrid, Spain

    Héctor F. Escobar-Morreale

Authors
  1. José I. Botella-Carretero
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  2. José A. Balsa
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  3. Clotilde Vázquez
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  4. Roberto Peromingo
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  5. Manuela Díaz-Enriquez
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  6. Héctor F. Escobar-Morreale
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Correspondence to José I. Botella-Carretero.

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Botella-Carretero, J.I., Balsa, J.A., Vázquez, C. et al. Retinol and α-Tocopherol in Morbid Obesity and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. OBES SURG 20, 69–76 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-008-9686-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-008-9686-5

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