A study of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in South African patients and analysis of candidate genes in insulin resistance and fatty acid oxidation.

[摘要] Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disease in Westerncountries, extending from steatosis (FLD) to steatohepatitis (NASH). Differentiation betweenNASH and nonprogressive NAFLD is difficult on clinical grounds therefore a need exists toidentify reliable biomarkers of disease progression.The aims of the study were 1) to describe the disease profile of NAFLD/NASH in South Africanpatients of the Western Cape, 2) to investigate the metabolic derangements associated with thiscondition, including insulin resistance, lipid abnormalities and liver fibrogenesis, and 3) toassess the possible involvement of candidate genes in relation to the disease phenotype in thepatient cohort.A total of 233 patients (73% female) were enrolled in this study, consisting of 69% CapeColoured, 25% Caucasian, 5% Black and 1% Asian individuals. All subjects were obese oroverweight based on the assessment of body mass index (BMI). Screening for NAFLD identified182 patients (87%) with ultrasonographical evidence of fatty infiltration and/or hepatomegaly.Liver biopsies were performed on patients with persistently abnormal liver functions and/orhepatomegaly. NAFLD was confirmed histologically in 111 patients of whom 36% had NASHand 17% advanced liver fibrosis. None of the Black patients had advanced fibrosis.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University