BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a metabolic disorder of the liver, which may progress to fibrosis or cirrhosis. Recent studies have shown a significant impact of ethnicity on susceptibility to steatosis-related liver disease. AIMS: To estimate the prevalence of NAFLD among Chilean Hispanics as well as the clinical and biochemical variables associated with the disease. METHODS: Population-based study among Chilean Hispanics. The diagnosis of NAFLD was made on the basis of ultrasound evidence of fatty liver and absence of significant alcohol consumption and hepatitis C virus infection. RESULTS: A total of 832 Hispanic subjects were included. Ultrasound findings revealed diffuse fatty liver in 23% of the subjects. Variables associated with fatty liver in multivariate analysis were body mass index >26.9 [odds ratio (OR) 6.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.3-11.5], abnormal aspartate aminotransferase levels (OR 14; 95% CI 8.2-23.7), presence of insulin resistance as measured by homoeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (OR 3; 95% CI 1.8-4.8) and serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) greater than 0.86 mg/L (OR 2.9; 95% CI 1.6-5.2). Among subjects with NAFLD, levels of hs-CRP were similar regardless of the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level. CONCLUSIONS: Chilean Hispanics exhibit a high prevalence of NAFLD. Obesity, insulin resistance, abnormal aminotransferase levels and elevated hs-CRP were independently associated with the presence of NAFLD. ALT elevation underestimates the presence of ultrasonographical fatty liver, whereas hs-CRP is a sensitive independent marker of NAFLD, which may be useful for detecting fatty liver in the general population.
BACKGROUND:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a metabolic disorder of the liver, which may progress to fibrosis or cirrhosis. Recent studies have shown a significant impact of ethnicity on susceptibility to steatosis-related liver disease. AIMS: To estimate the prevalence of NAFLD among Chilean Hispanics as well as the clinical and biochemical variables associated with the disease. METHODS: Population-based study among Chilean Hispanics. The diagnosis of NAFLD was made on the basis of ultrasound evidence of fatty liver and absence of significant alcohol consumption and hepatitis C virus infection. RESULTS: A total of 832 Hispanic subjects were included. Ultrasound findings revealed diffuse fatty liver in 23% of the subjects. Variables associated with fatty liver in multivariate analysis were body mass index >26.9 [odds ratio (OR) 6.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.3-11.5], abnormal aspartate aminotransferase levels (OR 14; 95% CI 8.2-23.7), presence of insulin resistance as measured by homoeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (OR 3; 95% CI 1.8-4.8) and serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) greater than 0.86 mg/L (OR 2.9; 95% CI 1.6-5.2). Among subjects with NAFLD, levels of hs-CRP were similar regardless of the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level. CONCLUSIONS: Chilean Hispanics exhibit a high prevalence of NAFLD. Obesity, insulin resistance, abnormal aminotransferase levels and elevated hs-CRP were independently associated with the presence of NAFLD. ALT elevation underestimates the presence of ultrasonographical fatty liver, whereas hs-CRP is a sensitive independent marker of NAFLD, which may be useful for detecting fatty liver in the general population.
Authors: Margarita Pizarro; Nancy Solís; Pablo Quintero; Francisco Barrera; Daniel Cabrera; Pamela Rojas-de Santiago; Juan P Arab; Oslando Padilla; Juan C Roa; Han Moshage; Alexander Wree; Eugenia Inzaugarat; Ariel E Feldstein; Carlos E Fardella; Rene Baudrand; Arnoldo Riquelme; Marco Arrese Journal: Liver Int Date: 2015-02-23 Impact factor: 5.828
Authors: Daniela Catalano; Guglielmo M Trovato; Giuseppe Fabio Martines; Clara Pirri; Francesca M Trovato Journal: Hepatol Int Date: 2011-01-28 Impact factor: 6.047
Authors: Salwa M Abo El-Khair; Fatma M Ghoneim; Dalia A Shabaan; Ayman Z Elsamanoudy Journal: Histochem Cell Biol Date: 2019-10-21 Impact factor: 4.304
Authors: Juan P Arab; Roberto Candia; Rodrigo Zapata; Cristián Muñoz; Juan P Arancibia; Jaime Poniachik; Alejandro Soza; Francisco Fuster; Javier Brahm; Edgar Sanhueza; Jorge Contreras; M Carolina Cuellar; Marco Arrese; Arnoldo Riquelme Journal: World J Gastroenterol Date: 2014-09-14 Impact factor: 5.742