Similarly, the circulating levels of LCN2 and hepatic expression of LCN2 were significantly higher in female NAFLD patients than in women with severe obesity with non-significant liver disease (Auguet et al., 2013), again suggesting LCN2 as a good biomarker for assessment of NAFLD. Here, LCN2 is linked to obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.