Clinical Picture, Insulin Resistance, and Adipocytokines Profiles of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) Patients in Indonesia.

Aim: to know the clinical picture of subjects with NASH in Jakarta, Indonesia and the prevalence of insulin resistance, TNF-a, and adiponectin levels among them. Methods: this was a comparative cross-sectional study between patients with histopathologically confirmed NASH and normal subjects. The population of study was patients with fatty liver without history or significant consumption of ethanol. Patients were consecutively enrolled in the study if the ultrasonography showed fatty liver appearance with or without increased liver transaminases. Results: thirty patients and thirty normal subjects were recruited between February 2005 and January 2006. Median age of the patients was 45 years while the median age of the control group was 32 years. More than 80% of the patients were overweight (BMI 23-25 kg/m2) and obese (BMI > 25 kg/m2). Increased alanine aminotransaminase levels were found in almost two thirds of the patients. Other comorbidities included hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and type-2 diabetes mellitus. In patients with NASH, fasting insulin level, insulin resistance, and TNF-a level were significantly higher, whereas adiponectin level was significantly lower than the control group. Conclusion: most of the metabolic syndrome determinants were found in patients with NASH. HOMA-IR and TNF-alpha levels in subjects with NASH are higher than those in controls. Adiponectin levels in subjects with NASH are lower than those in controls. Further epidemiological studies are still needed to elaborate the causal relationship of insulin resistance and cytokine profiles to the development of NASH in Indonesia.

Correlation between serum vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration and quadriceps femoris muscle strength in Indonesian elderly women living in three nursing homes.

AIM: to investigate the correlation between serum vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration and quadriceps femoris muscle strength. METHODS: this was a cross-sectional correlative study, conducted at three nursing homes in Jakarta and one nursing home in Bekasi in January 2005. The subjects were women aged 60 years or above. Those selected study subjects underwent quadriceps femoris muscle strength examination with Cybex dynamometer with 150 degrees/second speed, twice (three repetitions with 30 second rest time). The 25 (OH)D concentration was measured by ELISA. RESULTS: out of 67 subjects who met the required criteria for this study, five subjects withdrew from the study during muscle strength examination. The mean age was 71.1 (SD 7.2) years old while the mean serum vitamin D concentration was 68.2 (SD 21.6) nmol/l. Vitamin D deficiency (<or= 50 nmol/l) was found in 22.6% of subjects. It was also found that the median (minimum-maximum) quadriceps femoris muscle strength was 40.00 (11-116) N.m. Approximately 82.3% of the subjects were of generalized muscle weakness. Correlation was found between serum 25 (OH)D concentration and quadriceps femoris muscle strength (r = 0.327; P = 0.009). CONCLUSION: this study reveals that serum 25 (OH) D concentrations in Indonesian elderly women is correlated with quadriceps femoris muscle strength. The proportion of elderly women with muscle weakness is higher than the normal ones. The group with older age shows higher proportion of muscle weakness. Most subjects have normal serum vitamin D concentration.

Correlation between vitamin D concentration and basic functional mobility in elderly women.

AIM: to determine vitamin D serum concentration, the timed up and go (TUG) test score, and the correlation between vitamin D serum concentration and TUG test score of elderly women. METHODS: a correlative cross-sectional study of elderly women aged 60 years old or above was carried out in three nursing homes in DKI Jakarta and one elderly nursing home in Bekasi, in January 2005. TUG test was performed to evaluate basic functional mobility by measuring the time in seconds to stand from 46 cm height armchair, walk three meters, turn around, and return to full sitting in chair. Vitamin D serum concentration was measured by ELISA method. Calcium ion serum concentration that was measured by NOVA method, age and body mass index (BMI) were confounding variables. RESULTS: of forty-two elderly women who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, thirty subjects which proportional randomly assigned participated in this study. Mean (+SD) vitamin D serum concentration was 68.0 (21.1) nmol/L, with concentration < 50 nmol/L was 23.3%, TUG score was 10.7 (2.1) seconds, BMI was 22.3 (3.7) kg/m2, age was 70.2 (6.4) years, and median (minimum-maximum) ionized calcium serum concentration was 1.095 (1.030-1.230) mmol/L. Vitamin D serum concentration did not show significant correlation with TUG (r = -0.008; P = 0.968). There were also no significant correlations among the confounding variables and TUG. The correlation with TUG for BMI r = 0.014; P = 0.942, ionized calcium serum concentration r = 0.287; P = 0.124, and age r = 0.315; P = 0.09. CONCLUSION: vitamin D serum concentration has not show significant correlation with basic functional mobility of elderly women, the higher vitamin D serum concentration was not followed by lesser time to perform TUG test; the proportion of subjects with TUG score < 10 seconds (freely mobile in functional mobility) were lesser in vitamin D deficiency respondents.

The correlation between insulin resistance and left ventricular systolic function in obese women.

AIM: To determine the correlation between insulin resistance and left ventricular systolic function in obese women. METHODS: 44 obese (BMI > or =25 kg/m2) and 45 normal weight women were studied. They had no other pathological conditions. Echocardiograms were undertaken in our echocardiographic laboratory following standard methods. The homeostasis model was used to assess insulin resistance (HOMA IR). RESULTS: Ejection fraction (p =0.22) and fractional shortening (p= 0.58) were not difference between obese women and the normal group. There was no correlation between insulin resistance and left ventricular systolic function. CONCLUSION: There was no correlation between insulin resistance and left ventricular ejection fraction.

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in obese women.

AIM: To determine the direct effect of obesity on echocardiographic indices of diastolic left ventricular function METHODS: 44 obese (BMI > or =25 kg/m2) and 45 normal weight women were studied. They had no other pathological conditions. Echocardiographic indices of diastolic function were obtained, and dysfunction was assumed when at least two values differed by > or =2 SD from the normal weight group. RESULTS: In obese subjects, the values of maximum velocity of active mitral filling (A) were increased and pulmonary diastolic velocity was decreased significantly (p< 0,01); all other diastolic variables were unchanged. Subclinical diastolic dysfunction tend to be more prevalent among obese subjects but it was not significantly different from non obese (p= 0.11), being present in nine obese (20.5%) and 4 normal (8.9%) subjects. CONCLUSION: Subclinical left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is present in obese women.

Insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in elderly women living in nursing homes.

AIM: To obtain a depiction of insulin resistance and to determine the correlation between age, body mass index, and insulin resistance, and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in elderly women living in nursing homes. METHODS: Ninety two elderly females with an average age of 71.4 (SD 7.45) who did not suffer from chronic renal disease or chronic liver disease and were not taking corticosteroids, beta blockers, thiazides, or anti-dyslipidemic drugs, participated as research subjects. Investigated variables, comprising blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, laboratory measurements, lipid profile, fasting blood glucose level, and fasting insulin level, were used to determine insulin resistance according to HOMA-IR > 75 percentile. The NCEP ATP III criteria Asia Pacific modification was used to determine metabolic syndrome. RESULTS: There were twenty three subjects with insulin resistance (HOMA-IR > 2.67) for the 75th percentile. Seventeen of them (73.9%) had metabolic syndrome. However, out of the 6 subjects (26.1%) without metabolic syndrome, 5 subjects had at least one component of metabolic syndrome. There was no correlation between age and insulin resistance. However, there was a correlation between BMI and insulin resistance (p<0.017). There were 53 elderly females (57.6%) with metabolic syndrome; the most common metabolic syndrome component being hypertension (79.3%), followed by HDL hypocholesterolemia (55.4%), and central obesity (53%). As many as 32.1% of subjects with metabolic syndrome also demonstrated insulin resistance. CONCLUSION: The value of insulin resistance was 2.67 (HOMA-IR cut-off > 75 percentile). Subjects with insulin resistance had at least one component of metabolic syndrome. A high prevalence (57.6%) of metabolic syndrome in elderly females living in a nursing home was found.