Correlations between anthropometric and serologic elements of metabolic syndrome and histopathologic features of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

OBJECTIVE

Studying the correlation between elements of metabolic syndrome and histological changes of the liver in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

METHODS

Thirty-nine patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease were included in our study. Inclusion criteria were: presence of liver steatosis on ultrasound in patients with waist circumference over 94 cm in men and over 80 cm in women and with serologic elements of metabolic syndrome. Exclusion criteria were: chronic viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, Wilson disease, hemochromatosis, regular alcohol consumption. Body mass index, waist circumference, fasting plasma glucose, serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels and serum ALT were determined. On liver biopsy specimens, performed in each patient, the NASH score, representing the sum of fibrosis, steatosis, lobular inflammation and ballooning, was calculated.

RESULTS

Necroinflammation was mild in 15 patients, medium in 19 patients and severe in five patients. Mild fibrosis was present in four cases, medium in 14 cases, severe in six, and two patients were diagnosed with cirrhosis. We found statistically significant correlation between waist circumference and the grade of histological activity, the presence of diabetes and both fibrosis grade and histological activity, and the serum ALT and histological activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Noninvasive assessment of the severity of hepatic histological changes in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease could be made by anthropometric parameters or by serologic components of metabolic syndrome, but it is not an accurate method to identify patients with high-risk for disease progression. These noninvasive parameters cannot replace liver biopsy.