Abnormal iron metabolism in non alcoholic steatohepatitis

ABSTRACT

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH] is a form of liver disease resembling alcoholic liver disease in a patient who did not consume significant amount of alcohol. Our study is concerned with the relation between NASH and iron level in serum and liver tissue. 44 patients with NASH proved by liver biopsy were the subjects of our study. The investigations done to all of them included fasting and post prandial blood glucose, hepatitis markers, lipid profile, liver function tests, serum iron, total iron binding capacity [TIBC], serum ferritin, prothrombin time and concentration, abdominal ultrasonography, ultrasonography guided liver biopsy and histopathological examination of the specimen. Our results showed elevation of the serum levels of iron, total iron biding capacity, serum ferritin and total iron score in 84% of our NASH patients. There was no significant difference in the studied iron parameters in different grades of steatosis and in different grades of activity while there was significant difference in different stages of fibrosis. Thus we might conclude that in addition to diabetes mellitus, lipid abnormalities and obesity, increased iron stores may play important role in the development of NASH and this may be through increased oxidative stress that ultimately lead to fibrosis and iron reduction might be of benefit in the treatment of this disease