Risk factors associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease evaluated by elastography in patients with type 2 diabetes

ABSTRACT Objective: There is controversy about the indication for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) screening in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). The present study aims to contribute to NAFLD surveillance in patients with T2D, assessing the association of clinical and biological variables with hepatic stiffness and steatosis. Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional design was used, with data collection from electronic medical records, including adults with T2D who underwent transient elastography (TE) between June 2018 and December 2019. Liver stiffness and steatosis were evaluated using TE and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), respectively, with cutoff points > 8 kpa for increased stiffness and > 275 dBm for steatosis. The relationship between clinical variables and elastography results were evaluated by bivariate correlation and multivariate analysis, using SPSS 27. Seventy-nine patients (n = 79) met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Advanced fibrosis and hepatic steatosis were detected in 17,7% and in 21,5% of the patients, respectively. There was a direct and significant correlation between CAP and BMI, waist circumference, HbA1c, triglycerides levels, and insulin doses and an inverse correlation with HDL. The waist circumference, low levels of HDL cholesterol and the insulin dose maintained a significant association with CAP values in multivariate analysis. Elastography values showed an inverse correlation with HDL and a direct correlation with BMI and insulin dose. The association was only maintained for the insulin dose in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Our results suggest that clinical factors such as insulin dose, waist circumference, and HDL cholesterol levels could identify T2D patients more likely to present NAFLD.

Research Progress of Quantitative Ultrasound Assessment of Liver Steatosis in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / 中国医学科学院学报

The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)keeps on rise.Without intervention,it may develop to steatohepatitis,cirrhosis,and even hepatocellular carcinoma.Liver biopsy,the gold standard for evaluating the steatosis severity of NAFLD,is invasive and unsuitable for large-scale screening.In recent years,magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)-related examinations have been used as a gold standard only second to liver biopsy,which still have disadvantages in large-scale application.Ultrasound has the advantages of simple operation,low cost,and safety,and may become an important method for accessing NALFD.This review summarizes the current studies about the diagnosis of liver steatosis by quantitative ultrasound assessment,including controlled attenuation parameters,attenuation imaging,ultrasonic liver/kidney intensity ratio and liver attenuation rate,and integrated backscatter.

Correlation between transient elastography controlled attenuation parameter and metabolic syndrome components / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective To investigate the relationship between Fibroscan? data controlled attenuation parameter(CAP), liver stiffness measurement(LSM), and the risk of metabolic syndrome(MS). Methods A total of 817 subjects in this year's staffs physical checkup screening for fatty liver were recruited. Questionnaires were filled, anthropometries including neck and waist circumferences were collected, and fasting glucose, lipid profiles, insulin, adiponectin levels were measured, CAP and LSM were recorded using FibroScan? . The subjects were divided into MS and control groups. Clinical characteristic parameters were compared, and independent predictors for MS were analyzed. Results There were 231 subjects(28.3％) in the MS group and 586(71.7％) in the control group. As compared to the controls, MS group had significantly higher CAP, LSM, neck circumference, and fasting insulin levels[(277±48vs237±44)dB/m,(4.9±2.2vs4.1±1.0)kPa,(37.1±3.3vs34.1±3.0)cm,(9.3±4.7vs5.7± 2.9)μIU/ml, all P<0.01], whereas adiponectin levels were lower [(10.6 ± 8.8 vs 18.7 ± 14.9) ng/ml, P<0.01] . With the accumulation of MS components, CAP and LSM increased. When CAP and LSM were divided into quartiles, the number of MS components increased with increasing quartiles, along with proportions and odds ratios for the occurrence of MS, and CAP showed a stronger correlation with MS than LSM. Binary Logistic regression analysis revealed that CAP, age, neck circumference, adiponectin, and fasting insulin levels were independent predictors for MS. Even with no MS component, subjects with CAP≥248 dB/m had elevated body mass index, neck and waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, increased fasting insulin, triglyceride, uric acid and reduced adiponectin levels. Conclusion CAP showed a close relationship with MS. Increased CAP was associated with increased body weight, dyslipidemia, elevated uric acid, and fasting insulin, whereas reduced adiponectin even before the occurrence of MS.

A clinical study of the association between hepatic controlled attenuation parameter and metabolic syndrome / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective@#To investigate the association between hepatic controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the correlation of CAP and its changes with the incidence of MetS.@*Methods@#A total of 2461 subjects who underwent physical examination from July 2013 to September 2015 were enrolled. Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation of CAP with the number of MetS components and each MetS component, and the chi-square test was used to investigate the prevalence rates of MetS and each component under different CAP levels. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the odds ratio (95% confidence interval (CI)) of MetS under different CAP levels. A total of 230 subjects without baseline MetS were selected; in a prospective cohort study, these subjects were divided into groups according to the baseline CAP, change in CAP, and percent change in CAP, and the chi-square test was performed to compare the incidence of MetS. The Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the values of baseline CAP, change in CAP, and percent change in CAP in predicting MetS.@*Results@#CAP was positively correlated with the number of MetS components (r = 0.309, P < 0.01) and significantly correlated with all components. There were significant differences in the prevalence rates of MetS and its components under different CAP levels (< 238 dB/m, 238-258 dB/m, 259-291 dB/m, and ≥292 dB/m) (P < 0.05). After the adjustment for sex and age, with < 238 dB/m as a reference, the odds ratios (95% CI) of MetS in patients with CAP levels of 238-258 dB/m, 259-291 dB/m, and ≥292 dB/m were 1.784 (1.369-2.325), 2.936 (2.292-3.760), and 4.363 (3.435-5.543), respectively (all P < 0.05). Follow-up data showed that 28 patients (12.2%) developed MetS. After the adjustment for related factors, the hazard ratios (95% CI) of MetS in patients with baseline CAP > 238 dB/m, change in CAP > 30 dB/m, and percent change in CAP > 25.0% were 3.337 (1.163-9.569), 7.732 (2.453-24.366), and 11.656 (3.329-40.813), respectively (all P < 0.05).@*Conclusion@#CAP is closely associated with MetS and its components. CAP and its change can be used to predict the risk of MetS.

Relationship between Controlled Attenuation Parameter and Hepatic Steatosis as Assessed by Ultrasound in Alcoholic or Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and hepatic steatosis, as assessed by ultrasound (US) in patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: Patients with either ALD or NAFLD who were diagnosed with fatty liver with US and whose CAP scores were measured, were retrospectively enrolled in this study. The degree of hepatic steatosis assessed by US was categorized into mild (S1), moderate (S2), and severe (S3). RESULTS: A total of 186 patients were included: 106 with NAFLD and 80 with ALD. Regarding hepatic steatosis, the CAP score was significantly correlated with US (ρ=0.580, p<0.001), and there was no significant difference between the NAFLD and ALD groups (ρ=0.569, p<0.001; ρ=0.519, p<0.001; p=0.635). Using CAP, area under receiver operating characteristic curves for ≥S2 and ≥S3 steatosis were excellent (0.789 and 0.843, respectively). For sensitivity ≥90%, CAP cutoffs for the detection of ≥S2 and ≥S3 steastosis were separated with a gap of approximately 35 dB/m in all patients and in each of the NAFLD and ALD groups. CONCLUSIONS: The CAP score is well correlated with hepatic steatosis, as assessed by US, in both ALD and NAFLD.

The Relationship between Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Measured by Controlled Attenuation Parameter

PURPOSE: The severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) population compared with that in normal glucose tolerance (NGT) individuals has not yet been quantitatively assessed. We investigated the prevalence and the severity of NAFLD in a T2DM population using controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects who underwent testing for biomarkers related to T2DM and CAP using Fibroscan® during a regular health check-up were enrolled. CAP values of 250 dB/m and 300 dB/m were selected as the cutoffs for the presence of NAFLD and for moderate to severe NAFLD, respectively. Biomarkers related to T2DM included fasting glucose/insulin, fasting C-peptide, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), glycoalbumin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). RESULTS: Among 340 study participants (T2DM, n=66; pre-diabetes, n=202; NGT, n=72), the proportion of subjects with NAFLD increased according to the glucose tolerance status (31.9% in NGT; 47.0% in pre-diabetes; 57.6% in T2DM). The median CAP value was significantly higher in subjects with T2DM (265 dB/m) than in those with pre-diabetes (245 dB/m) or NGT (231 dB/m) (all p<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that subjects with moderate to severe NAFLD had a 2.8-fold (odds ratio) higher risk of having T2DM than those without NAFLD (p=0.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.21-6.64), and positive correlations between the CAP value and HOMA-IR (ρ=0.407) or fasting C-peptide (ρ=0.402) were demonstrated. CONCLUSION: Subjects with T2DM had a higher prevalence of severe NAFLD than those with NGT. Increased hepatic steatosis was significantly associated with the presence of T2DM, and insulin resistance induced by hepatic fat may be an important mechanistic connection.

Research progress in controlled attenuation parameter for assessment of fatty liver disease / 临床肝胆病杂志

Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP)is a noninvasive,quantitative,fast,and reliable novel tool for the assessment of fatty liver disease (FLD),and it has been a hotspot in the noninvasive diagnosis of FLD.This paper introduces factors associated with CAP asses-sing FLD,the cut -off value for the diagnosis of liver steatosis,and the causes of the failure of CAP measurement and unreliable CAP meas-urement.The paper believes that even though the noninvasive and quantitative diagnosis of FLD by CAP has been confirmed by many stud-ies,most of the results were obtained with a limited sample size.Therefore,the factors associated with the cut -off value for CAP diagnosing liver steatosis and factors influencing the measurement results still need validation with larger samples and multi -centered research reports.

Usefulness of the Controlled Attenuation Parameter for Detecting Liver Steatosis in Health Checkup Examinees

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) implemented in FibroScan(R) is reported to be a non-invasive means of detecting steatosis (>10% steatosis). We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of CAP in detecting steatosis among health checkup examinees and to assess its correlation with ultrasonography (US). METHODS: Consecutive CAP results were retrospectively collected. A total of 280 subjects were included. RESULTS: Fatty liver was detected in 119 subjects (42.5%) by US, whereas it was detected in 160 subjects (57.1%) by the CAP. The numbers of subjects with S0:S1:S2:S3 steatosis according to the CAP value were 120:59:58:43, respectively. The mean CAP values were 203.34+/-28.39 dB/m for S0, 248.83+/-6.14 dB/m for S1, 274.33+/-8.53 dB/m for S2, and 322.35+/-22.20 dB/m for S3. CAP values were correlated with body weight (r=0.404, p<0.001), body mass index (r=0.445, p<0.001), and the fatty liver grade by US (r=0.472, p<0.001). Among the 161 subjects with normal US findings, steatosis was detected in 65 subjects (40.4%) using the CAP. CONCLUSIONS: The CAP seems to be useful for detecting very low-grade hepatic steatosis in health checkup examinees. Its role in predicting subjects with a risk of metabolic derangement needs to be evaluated.

Usefulness of the Controlled Attenuation Parameter for Detecting Liver Steatosis in Health Checkup Examinees

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) implemented in FibroScan(R) is reported to be a non-invasive means of detecting steatosis (>10% steatosis). We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of CAP in detecting steatosis among health checkup examinees and to assess its correlation with ultrasonography (US). METHODS: Consecutive CAP results were retrospectively collected. A total of 280 subjects were included. RESULTS: Fatty liver was detected in 119 subjects (42.5%) by US, whereas it was detected in 160 subjects (57.1%) by the CAP. The numbers of subjects with S0:S1:S2:S3 steatosis according to the CAP value were 120:59:58:43, respectively. The mean CAP values were 203.34+/-28.39 dB/m for S0, 248.83+/-6.14 dB/m for S1, 274.33+/-8.53 dB/m for S2, and 322.35+/-22.20 dB/m for S3. CAP values were correlated with body weight (r=0.404, p<0.001), body mass index (r=0.445, p<0.001), and the fatty liver grade by US (r=0.472, p<0.001). Among the 161 subjects with normal US findings, steatosis was detected in 65 subjects (40.4%) using the CAP. CONCLUSIONS: The CAP seems to be useful for detecting very low-grade hepatic steatosis in health checkup examinees. Its role in predicting subjects with a risk of metabolic derangement needs to be evaluated.