Associations among serum FGF21 levels, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: mediation analyses in a Chinese community-based population

Objective: This study aimed to explore the relationship between serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) levels and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and further explore the mediation effect of inflammation in their association. Methods: This study included 1,710 com...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hongyu Tan, Tingting Hu, Yunhui Pan, Yiting Xu, Yufei Wang, Xiaojing Ma, Yuqian Bao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Bioscientifica 2025-08-01
Series:Endocrine Connections
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ec.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/ec/14/8/EC-25-0351.xml
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849406988285378560
author Hongyu Tan
Tingting Hu
Yunhui Pan
Yiting Xu
Yufei Wang
Xiaojing Ma
Yuqian Bao
author_facet Hongyu Tan
Tingting Hu
Yunhui Pan
Yiting Xu
Yufei Wang
Xiaojing Ma
Yuqian Bao
author_sort Hongyu Tan
collection DOAJ
description Objective: This study aimed to explore the relationship between serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) levels and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and further explore the mediation effect of inflammation in their association. Methods: This study included 1,710 community residents, including 697 men and 1,013 women, with a median age of 59 (55–63) years. Abdominal ultrasound was used to detect the liver and calculate liver fat content (LFC). MASLD was diagnosed according to the 2023 Delphi consensus. Serum FGF21 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Inflammation levels were assessed through C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cells (WBCs), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Results: Regardless of overweight/obese status, serum FGF21 levels were higher in individuals with MASLD than in individuals without MASLD (all P < 0.05). In the multivariate logistic regression model, for every 1-unit increase in serum FGF21 levels, the risk of MASLD was 1.46 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.11–1.92) and 1.51 (95% CI, 1.19–1.93) in lean and overweight/obesity subjects, respectively. Moreover, serum FGF21 levels were positively correlated with LFC (P < 0.05), and the relationship between serum FGF21 and LFC could be partially mediated by CRP, WBC, and TNF-α. Conclusions: Regardless of overweight/obese status, serum FGF21 levels were significantly associated with an elevated risk of MASLD. Furthermore, serum FGF21 levels were independently associated with LFC, which could be partially mediated by inflammation.
format Article
id doaj-art-70cb04d8f82a49a1b81bc117efc4cc25
institution Kabale University
issn 2049-3614
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Bioscientifica
record_format Article
series Endocrine Connections
spelling doaj-art-70cb04d8f82a49a1b81bc117efc4cc252025-08-20T03:36:13ZengBioscientificaEndocrine Connections2049-36142025-08-0114810.1530/EC-25-03511Associations among serum FGF21 levels, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: mediation analyses in a Chinese community-based populationHongyu Tan0Tingting Hu1Yunhui Pan2Yiting Xu3Yufei Wang4Xiaojing Ma5Yuqian Bao6Jinzhou Medical University Graduate Training Base, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai, ChinaJinzhou Medical University Graduate Training Base, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaObjective: This study aimed to explore the relationship between serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) levels and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and further explore the mediation effect of inflammation in their association. Methods: This study included 1,710 community residents, including 697 men and 1,013 women, with a median age of 59 (55–63) years. Abdominal ultrasound was used to detect the liver and calculate liver fat content (LFC). MASLD was diagnosed according to the 2023 Delphi consensus. Serum FGF21 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Inflammation levels were assessed through C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cells (WBCs), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Results: Regardless of overweight/obese status, serum FGF21 levels were higher in individuals with MASLD than in individuals without MASLD (all P < 0.05). In the multivariate logistic regression model, for every 1-unit increase in serum FGF21 levels, the risk of MASLD was 1.46 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.11–1.92) and 1.51 (95% CI, 1.19–1.93) in lean and overweight/obesity subjects, respectively. Moreover, serum FGF21 levels were positively correlated with LFC (P < 0.05), and the relationship between serum FGF21 and LFC could be partially mediated by CRP, WBC, and TNF-α. Conclusions: Regardless of overweight/obese status, serum FGF21 levels were significantly associated with an elevated risk of MASLD. Furthermore, serum FGF21 levels were independently associated with LFC, which could be partially mediated by inflammation.https://ec.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/ec/14/8/EC-25-0351.xmlfibroblast growth factor 21metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver diseaseinflammationliver fat content
spellingShingle Hongyu Tan
Tingting Hu
Yunhui Pan
Yiting Xu
Yufei Wang
Xiaojing Ma
Yuqian Bao
Associations among serum FGF21 levels, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: mediation analyses in a Chinese community-based population
Endocrine Connections
fibroblast growth factor 21
metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease
inflammation
liver fat content
title Associations among serum FGF21 levels, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: mediation analyses in a Chinese community-based population
title_full Associations among serum FGF21 levels, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: mediation analyses in a Chinese community-based population
title_fullStr Associations among serum FGF21 levels, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: mediation analyses in a Chinese community-based population
title_full_unstemmed Associations among serum FGF21 levels, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: mediation analyses in a Chinese community-based population
title_short Associations among serum FGF21 levels, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: mediation analyses in a Chinese community-based population
title_sort associations among serum fgf21 levels inflammation and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease mediation analyses in a chinese community based population
topic fibroblast growth factor 21
metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease
inflammation
liver fat content
url https://ec.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/ec/14/8/EC-25-0351.xml
work_keys_str_mv AT hongyutan associationsamongserumfgf21levelsinflammationandmetabolicdysfunctionassociatedsteatoticliverdiseasemediationanalysesinachinesecommunitybasedpopulation
AT tingtinghu associationsamongserumfgf21levelsinflammationandmetabolicdysfunctionassociatedsteatoticliverdiseasemediationanalysesinachinesecommunitybasedpopulation
AT yunhuipan associationsamongserumfgf21levelsinflammationandmetabolicdysfunctionassociatedsteatoticliverdiseasemediationanalysesinachinesecommunitybasedpopulation
AT yitingxu associationsamongserumfgf21levelsinflammationandmetabolicdysfunctionassociatedsteatoticliverdiseasemediationanalysesinachinesecommunitybasedpopulation
AT yufeiwang associationsamongserumfgf21levelsinflammationandmetabolicdysfunctionassociatedsteatoticliverdiseasemediationanalysesinachinesecommunitybasedpopulation
AT xiaojingma associationsamongserumfgf21levelsinflammationandmetabolicdysfunctionassociatedsteatoticliverdiseasemediationanalysesinachinesecommunitybasedpopulation
AT yuqianbao associationsamongserumfgf21levelsinflammationandmetabolicdysfunctionassociatedsteatoticliverdiseasemediationanalysesinachinesecommunitybasedpopulation