Xanthine Oxidoreductase Activity Is Correlated With Hepatic Steatosis
Abstract The enzyme xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) catalyzes the formation of uric acid (UA) from hypoxanthine and xanthine, which in turn are products of purine metabolism starting from ribose-5-phosphate. Several studies suggested a relationship between hyperuricemia and hepatic steatosis; however, few previous studies have directly examined the relationship between XOR and hepatic steatosis. A total of 223 subjects with one or more cardiovascular risk factors were enrolled. Hepatic steatosis was calculated according to the liver-to-spleen (L/S) ratio on computed tomography and the hepatic steatosis index (HSI). We measured a plasma XOR activity assay using a newly established highly sensitive assay based on [13C2, 15N2] xanthine and liquid chromatography/triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. XOR activity and the UA level were increased in subjects with L/S ratio <1.1 and HSI <36. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that plasma XOR activity was associated with the risk of hepatic steatosis as assessed by the L/S ratio and HSI independently of insulin resistance, whereas UA levels were not associated with risk of hepatic steatosis. The results of this study indicated that plasma XOR activity is associated with hepatic steatosis independently of insulin resistance and serum UA levels.