Circulating soluble CD36 is a novel marker of liver injury in subjects with altered glucose tolerance

Liver injury linked to insulin resistance is characterized by mild to moderate increases in aminotransferase activity. A soluble form of CD36 (sCD36) was recently identified in human plasma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships among plasma sCD36, insulin sensitivity (SI) and indicators of liver health. We evaluated a cohort of men from the general population (n=117). As expected, serum (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) were associated positively with body mass index (BMI) and age and negatively with SI (minimal model method). Circulating sCD36 was positively associated with ALT, AST and GGT in subjects with altered glucose tolerance, but not in those with normal glucose tolerance. The difference in the slope of the relationships was significant (P=.01). Age, BMI and triglycerides (but not sCD36) contributed independently to 29% of ALT variance in subjects with normal glucose tolerance. In contrast, SI and sCD36 contributed independently to 39% of ALT variance in subjects with altered glucose tolerance. The correlation between ALT activity and sCD36 was confirmed in an independent, replication study. In summary, circulating sCD36 could represent a novel marker of liver injury in subjects with altered glucose tolerance.