ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Patients with diabetes are at risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease leading to cirrhosis. Existing guidelines do not advocate screening for liver related complications amongst persons with diabetes. AIM: The aim of this prospective study was to identify patients with severe liver fibrosis amongst patients hospitalized for their diabetes, using non-invasive methods, and to evaluate factors associated with severe fibrosis. METHODS: Consecutive patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes had clinical, biological parameters and liver fibrosis evaluation. Severe fibrosis was predicted when FibroTest was >0.59 or liver stiffness >8.7 kPa. RESULTS: A total of 277 patients were evaluated (type 1 diabetes 52%). The prevalence of severe fibrosis was 15.5%. By univariate analysis, factors associated with severe fibrosis were age, type 2 diabetes, body mass index, metabolic syndrome, previous cardiovascular events, no retinopathy, past history of foot ulcer, and elevated alanine aminotransferase. By multivariate analysis, factors associated with severe fibrosis were age >50 years, type 2 diabetes, no retinopathy, and past history of foot ulcer. CONCLUSION: This study showed an elevated prevalence of severe fibrosis in hospitalized diabetic patients, especially patients aged 50 years or older with type 2 diabetes, or with a past history of foot ulcer.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Complications , Liver Cirrhosis/diagnosis , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Apolipoprotein A-I/blood , Bilirubin/blood , Biomarkers/analysis , Diabetic Foot/complications , Female , Haptoglobins/analysis , Humans , Liver/diagnostic imaging , Liver Cirrhosis/etiology , Male , Middle Aged , Multivariate Analysis , Prospective Studies , ROC Curve , Severity of Illness Index , Ultrasonography , alpha-Macroglobulins/analysis , gamma-Glutamyltransferase/bloodABSTRACT
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Although methotrexate (MTX) is used in the effective treatment of inflammatory disorders, its use is hampered by the risk of liver fibrosis. Non-invasive methods for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis, such as transient elastography (FibroScan) and FibroTest could be useful for monitoring MTX-liver toxicity. The aim of this case-control study was to determine factors associated with liver fibrosis in a large cohort of patients requiring MTX. METHODS: Consecutive adults with various benign inflammatory diseases were prospectively assessed using FibroScan and FibroTest when they were treated with MTX (cases) or before beginning treatment (controls). RESULTS: Among 518 included patients, 44 patients (8.5%) had FibroScan and/or FibroTest results suggesting severe liver fibrosis. In a multivariate analysis, factors associated with abnormal markers of liver fibrosis were the body mass index >28 kg/m(2) and high alcohol consumption. Neither long MTX duration nor cumulative doses were associated with elevated FibroScan or FibroTest results. CONCLUSIONS: Severe liver fibrosis is a rare event in patients treated with MTX and is probably unrelated to the total dose. Patients with other risk factors for liver disease should be closely monitored with non-invasive methods before and during MTX treatment.
