Fatty liver in men is associated with high serum levels of small, dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol

We enrolled 476 male subjects. Serum sd-LDL-C concentrations were determined using precipitation assays.Subjects were divided into four groups based on triglyceride (TG) and LDL-C levels: A, TG？<？150？mg/dl and LDL-C？<？140？mg/dl; B, TG？<？150？mg/dl and LDL-C？≥？140？mg/dl; C, TG？≥？150？mg/dl and LDL-C？<？140？mg/dl; and D, TG？≥？150？mg/dl and LDL-C？≥？140？mg/dl. sd-LDL-C levels and the prevalence of fatty liver were significantly higher in groups B, C, and D than in group A. Subjects were also categorized into four groups based on serum sd-LDL-C levels; the prevalence of fatty liver significantly increased with increasing sd-LDL-C levels. Additionally, logistic regression analysis revealed an independent association between sd-LDL-C concentrations and fatty liver using such potential confounders as obesity and hyperglycemia as variables independent of elevated TG or LDL-C levels.Fatty liver is a significant determinant of serum sd-LDL-C levels independent of the presence of obesity or hyperglycemia. Fatty liver may alter hepatic metabolism of TG and LDL-C, resulting in increased sd-LDL-C levels.Atherogenic lipid profiles in patients with metabolic syndrome or glucose intolerance are characterized by hypertriglyceridemia, elevated apolipoprotein B levels, reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations, and an increased proportion of small, dense low-density lipoprotein (sd-LDL) particles [1-3]. Compared with large LDL, sd-LDL particles show increased penetration of the arterial wall, lower affinity for the LDL receptor, longer half-life in plasma, greater susceptibility to glycation, and lower resistance to oxidative stress, suggesting that sd-LDL is highly atherogenic [4,5]. Indeed, patients with high levels of sd-LDL particles were shown to have an approximately 3-fold increase in the risk of developing coronary heart disease compared with individuals with primarily large, buoyant LDL particles [6]. In addition, the sd-LDL-C concentration has been sugge