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Background@#Excessive delivery of free fatty acids (FFAs) to the liver promotes steatosis and insulin resistance (IR), with IR defined as reduced glucose uptake, glycogen synthesis and anti-lipolysis stimulated by normal insulin levels. Whether the associations between FFAs and diabetes development differ between patients with and without nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains unclear. @*Methods@#Consecutive subjects (2,220 NAFLD subjects and 1,790 non-NAFLD subjects according to ultrasound imaging) were enrolled from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between 2009 and 2019. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. @*Results@#There was an approximate J-shaped relationship between FFA levels and HOMA-IR in the NAFLD group. Higher FFA concentration quartiles were associated with higher risks of IR (odds ratio [OR], 9.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 6.43 to 13.36), prediabetes (OR, 10.48; 95% CI, 5.66 to 19.39), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM; OR, 19.43; 95% CI, 12.75 to 29.81) in the NAFLD group but not in the non-NAFLD group. The cut-off points for the FFA levels increased in a stepwise manner in discriminating IR, prediabetes and T2DM (573, 697, and 715 μmol/L) in the NAFLD group but not in non-NAFLD individuals. @*Conclusion@#A distinct dose-dependent relationship of FFA levels was found with IR, prediabetes and T2DM in NAFLD patients. Screening serum FFA levels in NAFLD patients would be valuable in preventing diabetes development.
ABSTRACT
Background@#Excessive delivery of free fatty acids (FFAs) to the liver promotes steatosis and insulin resistance (IR), with IR defined as reduced glucose uptake, glycogen synthesis and anti-lipolysis stimulated by normal insulin levels. Whether the associations between FFAs and diabetes development differ between patients with and without nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains unclear. @*Methods@#Consecutive subjects (2,220 NAFLD subjects and 1,790 non-NAFLD subjects according to ultrasound imaging) were enrolled from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between 2009 and 2019. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. @*Results@#There was an approximate J-shaped relationship between FFA levels and HOMA-IR in the NAFLD group. Higher FFA concentration quartiles were associated with higher risks of IR (odds ratio [OR], 9.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 6.43 to 13.36), prediabetes (OR, 10.48; 95% CI, 5.66 to 19.39), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM; OR, 19.43; 95% CI, 12.75 to 29.81) in the NAFLD group but not in the non-NAFLD group. The cut-off points for the FFA levels increased in a stepwise manner in discriminating IR, prediabetes and T2DM (573, 697, and 715 μmol/L) in the NAFLD group but not in non-NAFLD individuals. @*Conclusion@#A distinct dose-dependent relationship of FFA levels was found with IR, prediabetes and T2DM in NAFLD patients. Screening serum FFA levels in NAFLD patients would be valuable in preventing diabetes development.
ABSTRACT
Poor dietary habit is an important cause of the global prevalence of metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and the adjustment of dietary pattern is the cornerstone of MAFLD management. In recent years, a large number of new dietary intervention methods have been proposed and applied in the treatment of MAFLD, including calorie restrict diet, low-carbohydrate diet, low-glycemic index diet, low free sugar diet, intermittent fasting pattern, high protein diet, and Mediterranean diet, and these new methods have different effects in clinical practice. This article introduces the treatment concepts and practical methods of these new dietary treatment strategies and the evidence of their benefits in the treatment of MAFLD in China and globally, so as to provide a new perspective for clinicians to guide patients to achieve individualized nutritional therapy.
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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has replaced viral hepatitis and become the most important chronic liver disease in the world. Abdominal ultrasound remains the main method for the diagnosis of NAFLD in China. The studies in China showed that in the last two decades, the prevalence rate of NAFLD was 13%-43% and tended to increase year by year, and the new cases accounted for about 4% each year, with a certain proportion of patients with non-obese NAFLD. There is a significant difference in prevalence rate between the populations from different regions, with a higher prevalence rate of NAFLD in the well-developed southeast coastal regions where people have a similar lifestyle to those in Western countries. Metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia, and hypertension, are risk factors for NAFLD. National-wide large-sample epidemiological investigation is still needed in China to help support the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of NAFLD.
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Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is one of the common serious complications in patients with end-stage liver disease and has poor prognosis and high mortality, and in-depth studies on its pathogenesis will help to achieve precise prevention and treatment. Although the exact pathogenesis of HRS has not yet been fully elucidated, achievements have been made in the pathogenesis of HRS. The classic mechanism of the hypothesis of visceral vasodilation continues to be enriched and perfected, and new understandings have been gained for the role of systemic inflammation and intestinal bacterial translocation in pathogenesis. In addition, a new concept of cardiorenal syndrome is put forward for the involvement of cardiac dysfunction in HRS, and renal pathology has been questioned and challenged. This article reviews the research advances in the pathogenesis of HRS in recent years and related implications for clinical work.
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There is a high prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) around the world, and early diagnosis and evaluation of liver fatty degeneration and fibrosis degree play important roles in the early treatment and prognostic evaluation of patients with NAFLD. This article reviews the principles, diagnostic accuracy, influencing factors, and practicability of various imaging techniques applied in liver fat quantification and fibrosis prediction. Studies have shown that radiological fat quantitative diagnosis based on ultrasound and magnetic resonance and liver fibrosis evaluation based on elastography have a high level of accuracy and promising prospects; however, such techniques lack standard cut-off values and operating procedures which may provide a reference for clinical application.
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Aims The purpose of this study is to investigate thediagnostic value of SWEfor fibrosis in patients with CHBand the factorsinfluencing the accuracy. Methods From July 2013 to October 2015, 261 patients with CHB were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.All patients received SWE, anthropometry measurement, blood cell count, liver function test and virological indicators measurement. Liver fibrosis was staged from F0 to F4 by METAVIR scorebased onliver biopsy results of 133 CHB patients , while 128 patients were diagnosed as decompensated cirrhosis. Diagnostic accuracyof SWE were evaluated by Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC) using liver hepatic pathology and decompensated cirrhosis as gold standards. Logistic model was used to find out confounding factors that influence the accuracy of SWE. Results The Area Under ROC (AUC) for liver stiffness measurement with SWE were 0.891, 0.932 and 0.910 for the diagnosis of significant fibrosis (≥ F2), advanced fibrosis (≥F3) and cirrhosis (F4), respectively. A multifactor logistic regression combined modelwas built and showed that hepatic steatosis will decrease the accuracy of SWE. Conclusion SWE could be a valuable method for the noninvasive liver fibrosis assessment. The accuracy of SWE may be influenced by hepatic steatosis.
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Objective To determine the expression of interleukin-21 (IL-21) in patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and its association with HBV-DNA and ALT. Methods Clinical dates and blood specimen were collected from 25 unrelated healthy controls (HC) and 101 independent chronic HBV infected patients, including 25 patients in immune tolerant phase (IT), 25 in immune clearance phase (IC), 26 patients in inactive HBV carrier state (IA) and 25 patients in immune reactive phase (IR). Serum IL-21 levels were measured by Cytometric Bead Array (CBA). IL-21 mRNA and IL-21 receptor mRNA were measured by real-time PCR. Results Chronic HBV-infected patients had higher levels of serum IL-21 and IL-21 mRNA , with P <0.001 for both. In subgroup analysis, both serum IL-21 and IL-21 mRNA levels in IC, IR were higher than those in IT, IA and HC (all P < 0.001). Serum IL-21 level in IA was higher than that in HC and IT (P <0.001, P = 0.036). IL-21R mRNA levels were different between groups. Serum IL-21 level was associated with HBV-DNA (r = -0.472, P < 0.001), but not with ALT. Conclusion IL-21, up-regulated in chronic HBV infection, is associated with immune activity and may play a key role in HBV control.
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Objective To investigate the relation between apolipoproteinC3 (-482C>T ) polymorphism and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its clinical characteristics in the Han Chinese population. Methods Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(PAGE)were used to analyse the genotype of the apolipoproteinC3 (-482C>T) variants. Results No relation between the apolipopreoteinC3 (-482C>T) polymorphism and NAFLD was found. However, NAFLD patients carrying T allele were more susceptible to insulin resistant (IR), hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) than homozygote CC genotype. Conclusion There was no relation between the apolipopreoteinC3 (-482C>T)polymorphism and NAFLD in Han Chinese population, but T-carriers were more susceptible to metabolic disorder.
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Objective To evaluate the bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP) and harmless acute pancreatitis (HAP) scoring system in predicting prognosis of acute pancreatitis (AP).Methods A total of 442 AP patients,who were admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2003 to December 2010,were retrospectively studied.BISAP and HAP scores were evaluated respectively.The value of BISAP and HAP scores in predicting severity,local complications,organ failure and mortality were measured by the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC),and it was compared with that of traditional Ranson's score.Results Among 442 patients,73 patients (16.5％) were diagnosed to have severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).AUC for BISAP score in predicting SAP,local complications,organ failure and mortality were 0.90 (95％ CI:0.86 ～ 0.93),0.82(95％ CI:0.76 ～ 0.89),0.93 (95％ CI:0.89 ～ 0.96),0.93 (95％ CI:0.87 ～ 0.98).There were no statistically significant differences in AUCs of the four prognostic parameters between BISAP and Ranson's score.The specificity,positive predictive value (PPV),and AUC of HAP score in predicting mild AP were 85％,95％ and 0.73 (95％ CI:0.67 ～ 0.79).The risk of dismal prognosis increased when both BISAP and HAP score were abnormal.Conclusions BISAP and Ranson's score have comparable ability in predicting prognosis of patients with AP.However,BISAP score is simpler.HAP score is a simple and accurate method for predicting prognosis of patients with mild AP.Combination of BISAP score with HAP score can better help predict the prognosis of AP patients.
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Objective To study the correlation of fecal calprotectin and lactoferrin with intestinal mucosa lesions in Crohn′s disease (CD). Methods Eighty-eight cases of diagnosed CD patients were selected as study group and 35 irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients were as controls. Fecal samples of CD patients were collected in one week before colonoscopy examination and of IBS patients were collected of CD patients, CD activity index (CDAI) was calculated at same visit, and CD endoscopic index (CDEI) was calculated in the subsequent endoscopic examination. The level of fecal calprotectin and lactoferrin were tested by ELISA method. Results The median levels of facal calprotectin and lactoferrin in CD patients were 277.16 mg/kg (from 96.85 to 693.57 mg/kg) and 59.68 mg/kg (from 10.75 to 100.58 mg/kg) respectively, which were significantly higher than those of IBS patients (7.6mg/kg, from 5.54 to 32.3 mg/kg and 0.65 mg/kg from 0.23 to 4.34 mg/kg), (Z=-8.301 and -7.986, respectively both P =0.000). There were no significant difference of calprotectin and lactoferrin level between CD patients with colon pathological changes and without colon pathological changes (Z=-0.424 and -0.699,P=0.672 and 0.485, respectively). There was no significant difference of calprotectin and lacoferrin level between remission and active periods in CD patients (Z=-1.491 and -1.075, P=0.136 and 0.283, respectively). The median values of calprotectin and lactoferrin of patients in moderate and severe active period judged under endoscopy were 663.11 mg/kg (from 263.45 to 2015.63 mg/kg) and 105.64 mg/kg (from 56.52 to 187.44) mg/kg respectively, in mild active period were 344.54 mg/kg (from 132.03 to 722.67 mg/kg) and 86.68 mg/kg (from 21.07 to 100.55 mg/kg) accordingly, and in remission period were 133.94 mg/kg (from 60.54 to 583.33 mg/kg) and 45.31 mg/kg (from 7.59 to 48.31 mg/kg, respectively). Both calprotectin and lactoferrin levels were significantly higher in active period than in remission period (χ2=10.63 and 8.18, while, P=0.005 and 0.017, respectively). Conclusions The level of fecal calprotectin and lactoferrin can reflect the pathological changes and severity of the intestinal mucosa.