Association between plasma trace metals and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among rural women in Southern China.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a significant public health concern, ranking among the most critical liver diseases worldwide. The potential role of metals in the body in the development of NAFLD remains unclear. This study aims to explore potential associations between plasma metals and NAFLD odds among Chinese rural women.In this cross-sectional study, 1988 rural women residing in southern China were measured for plasma concentrations of 22 metals and Fibrosis-4 scores representing the severity of liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. To address potential multicollinearity and identify the most relevant metals, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was first applied to select candidate metals for subsequent analyses. Logistic regression was then used to evaluate the associations between plasma metals and the odds of NAFLD and hepatic fibrosis. Nonlinear associations between plasma metals and NAFLD odds were explored using a restricted cubic splines (RCS) model.Elevated plasma levels of nickel(Ni), selenium(Se), and antimony(Sb) were found to be associated with an increased odds of NAFLD after adjustment for covariates in logistic regression. In the RCS model, a nonlinear relationship with NAFLDwas shown for Ni and Co. Furthermore, plasma Ni was positively associated with the OR of hepatic fibrosis.Our findings indicate that four trace metals in the plasma (Ni, Se, Co, and Sb) were associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among rural women in Southern China. Future studies are recommended to see whether the findings are applicable to other populations and to examine biological mechanisms underlying the associations.

Duke Scholars

Author Junfeng Zhang Environmental Natural Science