Daiane Gonçalves de Oliveira1,2, Fabiana de Faria Ghetti3, Ana Paula Boroni Moreira4, Helen Hermana Miranda Hermsdorff5, Juliano Machado de Oliveira3, Lincoln Eduardo Villela Vieira de Castro Ferreira3. 1. Departamento de Nutrição, Universitary Hospital, School of Medicine, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Bairro Martelos, s/n, CEP 36036-330, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. daianeg.oliver@yahoo.com.br. 2. Nutrition Department, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. daianeg.oliver@yahoo.com.br. 3. Departamento de Nutrição, Universitary Hospital, School of Medicine, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Bairro Martelos, s/n, CEP 36036-330, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. 4. Nutrition Department, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. 5. Nutrition and Health Department, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by steatosis, lobular inflammation, ballooning, and in some cases, fibrosis, which can progress to cirrhosis and carcinoma. The progression of NASH is closely related to oxidative stress. Dietary intake of antioxidants has been suggested in protection against oxidative damage and related clinical complications. Thus, we evaluated the potential association of dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) with disease severity in NASH patients, as well as with anthropometric and body composition markers and biochemical parameters. METHODS: Thirty-three outpatients with a mean age of 48.4 ± 1.9 years were evaluated. Dietary TAC was estimated from a quantitative food frequency questionnaire. NASH severity, determined by liver biopsy, lifestyle characteristics, occurrence of comorbidities, anthropometry, body composition, and biochemical parameters were assessed. RESULTS: NASH patients who had a higher dietary TAC had fewer ballooned hepatocytes compared to those with a lower TAC (p = 0.024). The patients with the highest dietary TAC had a reduction of approximately 20% in the risk of having many ballooned hepatocytes (OR 0.791; 95% CI 0.643-0.974; p = 0.027). There was no association of steatosis, lobular inflammation, and fibrosis with dietary TAC. The same occurred for lifestyle characteristics, occurrence of comorbidities, anthropometry, body composition, and biochemical parameters. CONCLUSION: Dietary TAC is higher in patients with lower hepatic injury (ballooning), suggesting a possible role of food intake naturally high in its antioxidant capacity in reducing free radical production and, consequently, oxidative stress.
PURPOSE:Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by steatosis, lobular inflammation, ballooning, and in some cases, fibrosis, which can progress to cirrhosis and carcinoma. The progression of NASH is closely related to oxidative stress. Dietary intake of antioxidants has been suggested in protection against oxidative damage and related clinical complications. Thus, we evaluated the potential association of dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) with disease severity in NASH patients, as well as with anthropometric and body composition markers and biochemical parameters. METHODS: Thirty-three outpatients with a mean age of 48.4 ± 1.9 years were evaluated. Dietary TAC was estimated from a quantitative food frequency questionnaire. NASH severity, determined by liver biopsy, lifestyle characteristics, occurrence of comorbidities, anthropometry, body composition, and biochemical parameters were assessed. RESULTS: NASH patients who had a higher dietary TAC had fewer ballooned hepatocytes compared to those with a lower TAC (p = 0.024). The patients with the highest dietary TAC had a reduction of approximately 20% in the risk of having many ballooned hepatocytes (OR 0.791; 95% CI 0.643-0.974; p = 0.027). There was no association of steatosis, lobular inflammation, and fibrosis with dietary TAC. The same occurred for lifestyle characteristics, occurrence of comorbidities, anthropometry, body composition, and biochemical parameters. CONCLUSION: Dietary TAC is higher in patients with lower hepatic injury (ballooning), suggesting a possible role of food intake naturally high in its antioxidant capacity in reducing free radical production and, consequently, oxidative stress.