Correlation between Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Visceral Adipose Tissue in Non-Obese Chinese Adults: A CT Evaluation

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and visceral adipose tissue in non-obese Chinese adults using computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 454 subjects undergoing abdominal CT scan. Degree of CT attenuation in liver and spleen, and the degree of fat infiltration in liver were evaluated according to three indices: the attenuation value of liver parenchyma (CT(LP)), the attenuation ratio of liver and spleen (LS(ratio)) and the attenuation difference between liver and spleen (LS(dif)). Visceral fat area (VFA) and total fat area (TFA) at L2/3 and L4/5 levels were measured, and the abdominal subcutaneous fat area (SFA) was calculated. Bivariate correlation analysis was carried out to determine the correlation among these factors. RESULTS: In men, VFA, SFA and TFA at L2/3 and L4/5 levels showed significant differences in terms of the three indices to distinguish fatty liver from non-fatty liver (all, p < 0.001). In men, all the three indices showed negative correlation with TFA, SFA and VFA (all, p < 0.001). The negative correlation between the three indices and VFA at the L2/3 level was higher than at L4/5 level (r = −0.476 vs. r = −0.340 for CT(LP), r = −0.502 vs. r = −0.413 for LS(ratio), r = −0.543 vs. r = −0.422 for LS(dif), p < 0.001, respectively). The negative correlation between LS(ratio), LS(dif) and VFA at L2/3 and L4/5 levels was higher than SFA at the corresponding level. In women, all the three indices showed negative correlation with VFA and TFA at L2/3 and L4/5 levels, and the negative correlation between CT(LP) and VFA was higher at L2/3 level than at L4/5 level (r = −0.294 vs. r = −0.254, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In non-obese Chinese adults, the degree of hepatic fatty infiltration showed a strong correlation with abdominal fat on CT. VFA at L2/3 level was more closely related to fatty liver compared with VFA at L4/5 level.