Consistent with the well-established relationship between inflammation and impaired liver function, all biomarker analysed here (except HbA1c) were significantly associated by multivariable regression analysis with indices of liver function including AST, ALT and the AST to platelet ratio index (APRI) score (data not shown), the latter being a surrogate marker of liver disease in HCV (61). This evidence concerns the gene GPT and liver disorder.