Relationship between white blood cell count and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Higher levels of white blood cell (WBC) count are known to be associated with metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is also considered a hepatic manifestation of insulin resistance.

The present study aimed to determine the relation between WBC count and the presence of NAFLD based on abdominal sonographic findings.

A cross-sectional study with 3681 healthy subjects (2066 men, 1615 women) undergoing medical check-up was conducted. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for NAFLD were calculated using multivariate logistic regression analyses across WBC quartiles.

A graded independent relationship between higher levels of WBC count and the prevalence risk of NAFLD was observed. After adjusting for age, smoking status, regular exercise, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, and HDL-cholesterol, the ORs (95% CIs) for NAFLD according to WBC quartiles were 1.00, 1.48 (1.10-1.98), 1.59 (1.18-2.14), and 1.84 (1.35-2.51) for men and 1.00, 1.15 (0.67-1.96), 1.88 (1.13-3.11), and 2.74 (1.68-4.46) for women.

WBC count was found to be independently associated with the presence of NAFLD regardless of classical cardiovascular risk factors and other components of metabolic syndrome.