Renal Dysfunction in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is Related to the Presence of Diabetes Mellitus and Severity of Liver Disease

Abstract

There is sparse data on the prevalence of renal dysfunction in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of renal dysfunction in patients with NAFLD and correlate it with the severity of liver disease. One hundred nonalcoholic patients with ultrasound showing hepatic steatosis were enrolled into the study after exclusion of other causes. Presence of renal dysfunction was estimated by glomerular filtration rate and by evaluating 24h urinary protein and microalbumin. Various risk factors including components of metabolic syndrome, severity of hepatic steatosis (as assessed on ultrasound), hepatic necro-inflammation (as assessed by hepatic transaminases) and hepatic fibrosis (as assessed by transient elastography) were correlated with the presence of renal dysfunction. Twenty eight (28%) patients with NAFLD had evidence of impaired renal function with 5 (5%) having abnormal glomerular filtration rate, 18 (18%) having significant proteinuria and 5 (5%) having both. Presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, raised hepatic transaminases and advanced fibrosis on transient elastography were found as independent predictors of impaired renal function with raised hepatic transaminases having the best sensitivity (89%) and presence of advanced fibrosis the best specificity (90%). A model comprising of these three parameters had good accuracy (AUROC=0.763) in predicting impaired renal function in patients with NAFLD. Around one-third of patients with NAFLD have impaired renal functions. Prevalence of impaired renal function in patients with NAFLD is dependent on the severity of liver disease and presence of diabetes mellitus.