Gender characteristics of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease course

Abstract

Objective. To study the clinical picture, functional indicators of the liver, lipid spectrum, proinflammatory cytokine levels and epithelial dysfunction markers in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) so as to detect gender differences.
 Materials and methods. Fifty-two persons with a mean age of 43.0 ± 11.1 years including 17 men (33 %) and 35 women (67 %), who suffered from NAFLD against the background of obesity were examined. The comparison group enclosed 30 practically healthy persons aged 42.3 ± 7.0 years, who had no liver pathology and obesity. The laboratory study included the assessment of functional liver tests, lipid spectrum, proinflammatory cytokine levels and epithelial dysfunction markers.Steatosis of the liver was determined with the method of ultrasonic investigation.
 Results. In the examined group with NAFLD, there prevailed women (67 %). The structure of complains and concomitant pathology had no marked gender differences. The USI showed the symptoms of liver steatosis in all the patients. Among men and women with NAFLD, normal transaminase levels, cholestasis syndrome, more expressed in men, similar disorders of blood lipid spectrum were registered. The proinflammatory cytokine concentrations in the blood serum of female patients with steatosis were significantly higher than in the comparison group and among males with NAFLD. The disturbance of the endothelial angiogenic function in the form of increased vasculoendothelial growth factor concentration more pronounced in men than in steatosis women was detected (р = 0.031).
 Conclusions. Among women with NAFLD, slightly expressed cholestasis syndrome, dyslipidemia, signs of systemic inflammation with increased proinflammatory cytokine concentration and disturbance of angiogenic function of endothelium were registered. In men with liver steatosis, there was identified cholestasis syndrome, dyslipidemia, and angiogenic dysfunction of endothelium, more marked than in women.