Abstract
BackgroundThe prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the non-obese population has increased and NAFLD is not always recognized in individuals with metabolic syndrome (MS). The risk of cirrhosis is higher in patients having NAFLD with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels than in those having NAFLD with normal ALT levels.ObjectiveTo measure the differences in clinical factors associated with NAFLD having elevation of ALT among subjects with Non-MS, Pre-MS, and MS, and to measure differences in metabolites between MS subjects with and without NAFLD having elevation of ALT.MethodsAmong 7,054 persons undergoing health check-ups, we included 3,025 subjects who met the selection criteria. We measured differences in clinical factors for NAFLD having elevation of ALT among subjects with Non-MS, Pre-MS, and MS, and compared metabolites between subjects with and without NAFLD having elevation of ALT in 32 subjects with MS.ResultsThe prevalence of NAFLD and NAFLD having elevation of ALT was significantly progressively greater in subjects with Non-MS, Pre-MS, and MS (p <0.001, respectively). In the Non-MS group, there were significant differences between subjects with and without NAFLD having elevation of ALT with respect to body mass index (BMI), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c, uric acid, aspartate aminotransferase (AST); In the Pre-MS group, there were significant differences in BMI, hypertension, AST, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT); In the MS group, there were significant differences in HDL-C, impaired glucose tolerance, AST, and GGT. There were significant differences in levels of metabolites of nicotinamide, inosine, and acetyl-L-carnitine between MS subjects with and without NAFLD having elevation of ALT (all p <0.05).ConclusionsAlthough NAFLD having elevation of ALT is important for development of NAFLD, differences in factors associated with NAFLD having elevation of ALT at various stages of MS should be considered. Additionally, several metabolites may play roles in the identification of risk for NAFLD in individuals with MS.
Highlights
Despite the fact that the increase in prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) that is strongly associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been problematic in gastroenterology, NAFLD is not always recognized in individuals with MS [1,2,3]
NAFLD having elevation of ALT is important for development of NAFLD, differences in factors associated with NAFLD having elevation of ALT at various stages of MS should be considered
In the Non-MS group, univariate analysis showed that gender, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), SBP, DBP, hypertension, total cholesterol (T-CHO), TG, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), dyslipidemia, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), uric acid (UA), AST, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) were significantly associated with NAFLD having elevation of ALT
Summary
The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the non-obese population has increased and NAFLD is not always recognized in individuals with metabolic syndrome (MS). The risk of cirrhosis is higher in patients having NAFLD with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels than in those having NAFLD with normal ALT levels. Data Availability Statement: All relevant data are within the manuscript and its Supporting Information files. 16K09057) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the funders had no role in this manuscript
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