The Association of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease With Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Neutrophil-Percentage-to-Albumin Ratio

Background and objective Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely linked to metabolic syndrome, leading to consequences related to dyslipidemia, endothelial dysfunction, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Due to a limited understanding of the factors contributing to the progression of NAFLD, predicting clinical outcomes in patients remains challenging. In light of this, this study aimed to evaluate the association between the occurrence of NAFLD and the neutrophil-percentage-to-albumin ratio (NPAR) as well as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Methods A total of 115 adult patients (mean age: 58 ± 12.5 years; 55.65% male) who underwent abdominal non-contrast-enhanced CT scans were included in the study. The analysis of CT scans was conducted to assess the attenuation values of liver parenchyma. Results There was a statistically significant difference in terms of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), triglyceride (TG), albumin, and NPAR between individuals with and without hepatic steatosis (GGT p<0.0001, TG p=0.0006, albumin p<0.0001, NPAR p=0.001). However, NLR values between the two groups did not show any statistical differences. NPAR (r=-0.27, p=0.0029) had a weak inverse correlation with liver attenuation value, which is expressed in Hounsfield units (HU). Conclusions Significant differences were observed in GGT, TG, albumin, and NPAR levels between individuals with and without hepatic steatosis. An inverse correlation between NPAR and liver attenuation values was also observed.