Can the Monocyte/HDL Ratio be used as A Marker to Predict Fatty Liver and Its Stages?

Background: Our study aims to determine whether the monocyte/HDL ratio is a marker that can be used to predict the presence and stage of non-alcoholic fatty liver. Material and Method: Patients aged 18-65 years without known chronic diseases and medication use who applied to our hospital for a check-up were included in the study. Patients were divided into 4 groups based on ultrasonography findings: those without hepatosteatosis, those with stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3 hepatosteatosis. Groups were compared in terms of fasting glucose, insulin resistance, lipid profile, liver function tests, monocyte/HDL ratios. Results: Fasting glucose, insulin resistance, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, alanine aminotransferase, monocytes, and monocyte/HDL ratio were significantly higher in the group with hepatosteatosis than in the group without hepatosteatosis, and this increase was directly proportional to the stage. HDL was significantly lower in the hepatosteatosis group than in the group without hepatosteatosis, and HDL decreased further as the stage of hepatosteatosis increased. No difference was found between the groups in terms of aspartate aminotransferase. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that hepatosteatosis was independently associated with alanine aminotransferase, insulin resistance, and monocyte/HDL ratio. Conclusion: Monocyte/HDL ratio can be considered a simple, easily accessible, and inexpensive marker to predict the presence and stages of hepatosteatosis