Lumican in Obese Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease With or Without Prediabetes.

Lumican is a small leucine-rich proteoglycan that regulates the assembly of collagen fibers in the extracellular matrix of different tissues. Excess collagen production in the liver is key in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and might contribute to the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum lumican and prediabetes, and other biochemical and clinical parameters in obese subjects with NAFLD. The study group included 79 subjects with obesity and NAFLD of which 41 had normal carbohydrate tolerance and 38 had prediabetes. Serum lumican was measured by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Higher lumican serum levels were found in patients with prediabetes compared with those with normal carbohydrate tolerance (0.117 ± 0.074 vs. 0.080 ± 0.048 ng/mL,  = 0.010) as well as in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS) versus those without MetS (0.113 ± 0.071 vs. 0.079 ± 0.048 ng/mL,  = 0.034). There was also a modest positive association between lumican levels and fasting glucose ( = 0.228,  < 0.05). Lumican levels ≥0.07 ng/mL determine a 3.9-fold higher risk of prediabetes (odds ratio: 3.945, 95% confidence interval: 1.518-10.254,  = 0.005). Lumican levels were higher in obese subjects with NAFLD with prediabetes and MetS. Lumican bears an increased risk for prediabetes in the study population.