scholarly journals Utility of Liver Function Tests and Fatty Liver Index to Categorize Metabolic Phenotypes in a Mediterranean Population

Author(s):  
Dariusz Narankiewicz ◽  
Josefina Ruiz-Nava ◽  
Veronica Buonaiuto ◽  
María Isabel Ruiz-Moreno ◽  
María Dolores López-Carmona ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to analyze the utility of liver function tests (LFT) and fatty liver index (FLI), a surrogate marker of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, in the categorization of metabolic phenotypes in a Mediterranean population. A cross-sectional study was performed on a random representative sample of 2233 adults assigned to a health center in Málaga, Spain. The metabolic phenotypes were determined based on body mass index (BMI) categorization and the presence or absence of two or more cardiometabolic abnormalities (high blood pressure, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, hypertriglyceridemia, pre-diabetes) or type 2 diabetes. No difference was observed between metabolically healthy and metabolically abnormal phenotypes on LFT. The mean FLI of the population was 41.1 ± 28.6. FLI was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the metabolically abnormal phenotypes in all BMI categories. The proportion of individuals with pathological FLI (≥60) was significantly higher in the metabolically abnormal overweight and obese phenotypes (p < 0.001). On a multivariate model adjusted for sex, age, and waist circumference, a significant correlation was found between pathological FLI and metabolically abnormal phenotypes in the overweight and obese BMI categories. Area under the curve (AUC) of FLI as a biomarker was 0.76, 0.74, and 0.72 for the metabolically abnormal normal-weight, overweight, and obese groups, respectively. Liver biochemistry is poorly correlated with metabolic phenotypes. Conversely, a good correlation between FLI, as a marker of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and metabolically abnormal phenotypes in all BMI ranges was found. Our study suggests that FLI may be a useful marker for characterizing metabolically abnormal phenotypes in individuals who are overweight or obese.

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 1936-1939
Author(s):  
Shahla Mohammed Saeed Rasul ◽  
Ali Khalaf Salim ◽  
Hiwa Abubakr Hussein

Background: Nowadays, generating shear waves and simulation of the liver tissue is done using point shear-wave elastographic (pSWE) techniques which uess acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI). Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between pSWE and liver function tests (LFTs) to predict liver fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Materials and methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted in an Ultrasound Clinic in Suleymaniya city. The duration of the study was from 1st of November, 2018 to 30th of June, 2019 which conducted on 50 NAFLD patients. After confirming NAFLD diagnosis, the patients were referred to Ultrasound Clinic to go under pSWE test. Results: The data showed that the mean PSWE of NAFLD patient was 4.12±0.87 Kpa; and 18% of them had high PSWE (> 4.6). Elastography fibrosis score was distributed to F0 (82%), F1 (6%), F2 (8%) and F3 (4%). There was a significant association between high APRI and high Aspartate Aminotransferase/Alanine Aminotransferase(AST/ALT) ratio (p=0.04). There was also a highly significant association between elastography fibrosis score and APRI fibrosis score among NAFLD patients (p<0.001). Conclusion: This study showed that the pSWE is a valuable noninvasive diagnostic technique for predicting liver fibrosis among NAFLD patients and there is significant correlation between APRI and pSWE scores. Keywords: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Point shears wave elastography, Liver fibrosis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sachiko Hattori ◽  
Kazuomi Nomoto ◽  
Tomohiko Suzuki ◽  
Seishu Hayashi

Abstract Background Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) is a serine exopeptidase able to inactivate various oligopeptides, and also a hepatokine. Hepatocyte-specific overexpression of DPP4 is associated with hepatic insulin resistance and liver steatosis. Method We examined whether weekly DPP4 inhibitor omarigliptin (OMG) can improve liver function as well as levels of inflammation and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Further, we investigated the effects of OMG in a diabetic patient with biopsy-confirmed nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Results In NAFLD patients, OMG significantly decreased levels of aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), while no significant change was seen in hemoglobin A1c or body mass index. In the NASH patient, liver function improved markedly, and levels of the hepatic fibrosis marker FIB-4 decreased in parallel with HOMA-IR and hsCRP. Slight but clear improvements in intrahepatic fat deposition and fibrosis appeared to be seen on diagnostic ultrasonography. Conclusion Weekly administration of the DPP4 inhibitor OMG in ameliorating hepatic insulin resistance may cause beneficial effects in liver with NAFLD/NASH.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir Mohammad Kazemifar ◽  
Ali Akbar Shafikhani ◽  
Elaheh HajiNoormohammadi ◽  
Zahra Azarion ◽  
Aliakbar Hajiaghamohammadi

Abstract Background and objective The correlation between the eradication of Helicobacter pylori (HP) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a controversial one. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Helicobacter pylori treatment on liver function tests and lipid profiles and to compare its effects with exercise therapy and diet alone. Method This was a double-blind randomized clinical trial conducted at Qazvin University of Medical Sciences. One hundred patients with NAFLD having a positive test for urea breath testing were randomly assigned into one of the intervention and comparison groups. The diet and physical activity program were given to two groups of patients for 8 weeks, three sessions per week. In addition to the above therapy, the patients in the intervention group also received HP treatment for 2weeks. The data corresponding to anthropometric and clinical features before and after the intervention were collected in both groups and compared using appropriate statistical methods. Results After the treatment interventions, the variables of weight, BMI, blood glucose, triglyceride, AST, ALT, total cholesterol, and LDL-C were significantly decreased in both groups (p < .05). In the between-group comparisons, only ALT was significantly lower in the intervention group (HP) (p < .05). Conclusion Findings of this study showed that the eradication of Helicobacter pylori could significantly improve the ALT index, but it had no additional effect on changes in metabolic indicators. Trial registration Registration number: IRCT2015042020951N2 Name of trial registry: The study of treatment of Helicobacter pylori in improvement of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease The date of registration: 2015-05-12 Where the full trial protocol can be accessed: https://fa.irct.ir/trial/18489


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