Noninvasive predictors for liver fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

AIM: To evaluate certain anthropometric, clinical and laboratory features indicating liver fibrosis in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and to establish the noninvasive markers for liver fibrosis. METHODS: Eighty-one patients (40 male, 41 female) who were diagnosed with fatty liver by ultrasonographic examination and fulfilled the inclusion criteria participated in the study. Anamnesis, anthropometric, clinical and laboratory features of all cases were recorded and then liver biopsy was performed after obtaining patient consent. Steatosis, necroinflammation and liver fibrosis were examined according to age ≥ 45, gender, body mass index, central obesity, aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) > 1, γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT)/ALT > 1, platelet count, insulin, c-peptide levels and the presence of hypertension, diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia and insulin resistance. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) enrolled in the study. 69 of 81 patients were diagnosed with NASH, 11 were diagnosed with simple fatty liver and 1 was diagnosed with cirrhosis. AST/ALT > 1, GGT/ALT > 11, high serum ferritin and fasting insulin levels, the presence of diabetes, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia and insulin resistance seemed to enhance the severity of steatosis, necroinflammation and fibrosis but these results were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Liver steatosis and fibrosis can occur in individuals with normal weight. There was no significant concordance between severity of liver histology and the presence of predictors for liver fibrosis including metabolic risk factors.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis with normal aminotransferase values.

AIM: To investigate the aspects of liver histology in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) who had normal aminotransferase levels. METHODS: Thirty-four patients diagnosed with liver steatosis by ultrasonographic examination participated in the study. We compared all non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and NASH cases, according to aminotransferase level, aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio and presence of metabolic syndrome. RESULTS: Sixteen of 25 patients with high aminotransferase levels were diagnosed with NASH and nine with simple fatty liver according to liver histology. Among the nine patients with normal aminotransferase levels, seven had NASH and two had simple fatty liver. The patients with normal and high liver enzyme levels had almost the same prevalence of NASH and metabolic syndrome. Liver histology did not reveal any difference according to aminotransferase levels and AST/ALT ratio. CONCLUSION: Aminotransferase levels and AST/ALT ratio do not seem to be reliable predictors for NASH. Despite numerous non-invasive biomarkers, all patients with fatty liver should undergo liver biopsy.

Liver histology according to the presence of metabolic syndrome in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease cases.

AIM: To investigate the histologic features of the liver in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) cases according to the presence of metabolic syndrome or its individual components. METHODS: We enrolled 81 patients (40 male, 41 female) who were diagnosed with fatty liver by ultrasonographic scan and fulfilled the inclusion criteria. First anamnesis, anthropometric, clinical, laboratory and imaging features of all participants were recorded and then liver biopsy was performed after gaining consent from patients. Diagnosis of metabolic syndrome was dependent on patients having 3 or more out of 5 risk criteria defined by the WHO. Biopsy specimens were assessed according to Brunt et al's classification. RESULTS: Sixty-nine of the 81 patients had nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), 11 had simple fatty liver and 1 had cirrhosis according to histologic evaluation. Comparisons were made between two groups of NASH patients, those with and without metabolic syndrome. We did not detect statistically significant differences in liver histology between NASH patients with and without metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSION: NASH can progress without metabolic risk factors or the presence of metabolic syndrome.