Intra-pancreatic fat deposition and its relation to obesity: a magnetic resonance imaging study

Abstract

Objectives

Intra-pancreatic fat deposition (IPFD) is suspected to be associated with various medical conditions. This study aimed to assess pancreatic fat content in lean and obese individuals, characterize obese individuals with and without IPFD, and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Materials and methods

Sixty-two obese individuals without diabetes and 35 lean controls underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using proton density fat fraction (PDFF) maps to evaluate pancreatic and hepatic fat content, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) content. Pancreatic fibrosis was explored by T1 relaxation time and MR elastography (MRE) measurements. Associations between pancreatic fat, measures of obesity and metabolic syndrome were examined using uni- and multivariate regression analyses.

Results

Pancreatic PDFF was higher in obese than in lean controls (median 8.0%, interquartile range (6.1;13.3) % vs 2.6(1.7;3.9)%, p < 0.001). Obese individuals with IPFD (PDFF ≥6.2%) had higher waist circumference (114.0 ± 12.5 cm vs 105.2 ± 8.7 cm, p = 0.007) and VAT (224.9(142.1; 316.1) cm² vs 168.2(103.4; 195.3) cm², p < 0.001) than those without. In univariate analysis, pancreatic PDFF in obese individuals correlated with BMI (r = 0.27, p = 0.03), waist circumference (r = 0.44, p < 0.001), VAT (r = 0.37, p = 0.004), hepatic PDFF (r = 0.25, p = 0.046) and diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.32, p = 0.01). However, in multivariate analysis, only VAT was associated to pancreatic fat content. MRI measures of pancreatic fibrosis indicated no evident fibrosis in relation to increased pancreatic fat content.

Conclusions

Pancreatic fat content was increased in obese individuals compared with lean controls and predominantly correlated with the amount of visceral adipose tissue. Pancreatic fat content was not clearly linked to measures of pancreatic fibrosis.

Keywords:

• Pancreatic fat
• obesity
• metabolic syndrome
• fibrosis
• magnetic resonance imaging

Acknowledgements

The authors thank research MRI radiographer Kenneth Krogh Jensen for his assistance in data collection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study received no external funding.