Non-invasive assessment and quantification of liver steatosis by ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance

Association of blood manganese levels with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in NHANES 2017-2020: A retrospective cross-sectional study

Objective

This study investigates the link between blood manganese (Mn) levels and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a U.S. adult population.

Background

The role of manganese in NAFLD remains poorly understood. However, the NHANES database offers valuable data on blood manganese levels and metabolic status for 6278 subjects in the United States, facilitating the study of this relationship.

Methods

To investigate the relationship between blood manganese (Mn) levels and NAFLD, we conducted a t-test to compare Mn levels between participants with and without NAFLD. Participants were categorized into quartiles based on their blood Mn levels. We then employed multiple logistic regression analysis and sensitivity analyses to further examine the Mn-NAFLD relationship.

Results

The NAFLD group had a significantly higher blood manganese level (10.0 ± 3.7 μg/L, P < 0.05) than the control group. Stratifying 6278 subjects by blood manganese quartiles showed increased NAFLD odds in higher quartiles (Q2-Q4) vs. Q1 (ORs: 1.49, 1.37, 1.49). The Mn-NAFLD relationship followed an inverted L-shaped curve, peaking at 8.52 μg/L.

Conclusions

Elevated levels of manganese in the blood have been shown to be associated with an increase in the risk of NAFLD, and blood manganese values can be utilized as a marker for assessing NAFLD.

MetALD: New Perspectives on an Old Overlooked Disease

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) are the major contributors to the liver disease burden globally. The rise in these conditions is linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and increased alcohol consumption. MASLD and ALD share risk factors, pathophysiology and histological features but differ in their thresholds for alcohol use, and the ALD definition does not require the presence of metabolic dysfunction. A recent multi-society consensus overhauled the nomenclature of liver steatosis and introduced the term MetALD to describe patients with metabolic dysfunction who drink more than those with MASLD and less than those with ALD. This new terminology aims to enhance the understanding and management of liver disease but poses challenges, such as the need to accurately measure alcohol consumption in research and clinical practice settings. Recent studies show that MetALD has significant implications for patient management, as it is associated with increased mortality risks and more severe liver outcomes compared to MASLD alone. MetALD patients face increased risks of liver disease progression, cancer and cardiovascular disease. The diagnosis of MetALD involves the adequate quantification of alcohol use through standardised questionnaires and/or biomarkers as well as proper assessment of liver disease stage and progression risk using non-invasive tools including serologic markers, imaging, elastography techniques and genetic testing. Effective management requires addressing both metabolic and alcohol-related factors to improve outcomes. This review intends to provide a comprehensive overview of MetALD, covering pathogenesis, potential diagnostic approaches, management strategies and emerging therapies.

Elevated Cholinesterase Activity and the Metabolic Syndrome-Dissecting Fatty Liver, Insulin Resistance and Dysglycaemia

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

While low plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is a well-established marker of reduced liver synthesis capacity, the clinical significance of elevated BChE is unclear. In small studies, high BChE has long been suspected in hepatic steatosis and metabolic syndrome. We aimed to clarify the relation between BChE, liver fat and glucose metabolism in deeply phenotyped cohorts.

METHODS

Plasma BChE activity was measured in 844 humans (554 women) of the cross-sectional Tübingen Diabetes Family Study, with a wide BMI range (17.7-55.1 kg/m2). It was furthermore measured before and after two independent lifestyle intervention studies in 215 and 116 participants. Liver fat was quantified with 1H-MR-spectroscopy, and metabolism was assessed by oral glucose tolerance tests.

RESULTS

BChE was positively associated with liver fat, independent of sex, age and BMI. BChE was higher in participants with metabolic syndrome. BChE was positively associated with fasting and 2-h glycaemia, independent of sex, age and BMI. BChE was negatively associated with insulin sensitivity, independent of sex, age, BMI and liver fat. The reduction of liver fat and improvement in insulin sensitivity during lifestyle interventions are associated with the reduction in BChE, independent of body weight loss.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher plasma BChE activity is linked to liver fat accumulation, as well as impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, independent of liver fat. This suggests that BChE could be a marker for processes in hepatocytes that contribute to impaired glucose metabolism. Further investigations are needed to clarify the mechanistic contribution and potential diagnostic value of elevated BChE in hepatic steatosis and metabolic diseases.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease following laparoscopic duodenum-preserving pancreatic total head resection vs laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver in individuals who do not consume alcohol. Several risk factors influencing the onset of NAFLD after laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) have been identified. This study investigated the risk factors associated with the development of fatty liver after laparoscopic duodenum-preserving pancreatic total head resection (LDPPHRt) and LPD.

AIM

To compare the effects of LDPPHRt and LPD on the development of postoperative NAFLD.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included 59 patients who were histologically diagnosed with benign or low-grade malignant pancreatic tumors and who underwent laparoscopic pancreatic surgery (LDPPHRt or LPD) between May 2020 and April 2023. Patient data on perioperative and postoperative variables were analyzed and compared. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify pre-, peri-, and postoperative risk factors for NAFLD, with statistical significance set at P < 0.05.

RESULTS

Of the 59 patients included in the study, 17 (28.8%) developed NAFLD within 6-12 months post-surgery. The incidence of NAFLD was significantly higher in the LPD group compared to the LDPPHRt group (40.0% vs 12.5%, P = 0.022). Multivariable analysis identified the LDPPHRt surgical approach (compared to LPD) as an independent protective factor against the development of postoperative NAFLD, with an odds ratio of 0.208 (95% confidence interval: 0.046-0.931; P = 0.040).

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that LDPPHRt is more effective than LPD in reducing the incidence of postoperative NAFLD, which may inform surgical decision-making and optimize patient outcomes after laparoscopic pancreatic surgery.

The Impact of Exercise Training Plus Dietary Interventions on Ectopic Fat in Population with Overweight/Obesity with and without Chronic Disease: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Metaregression of Randomized Clinical Trials

Background

The growing prevalence of obesity and related chronic diseases has led to increased interest in interventions targeting ectopic fat reduction to which its accumulation is linked to metabolic dysfunction.

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of combined exercise training combined with dietary interventions compared with dietary interventions alone on ectopic fat [visceral fat area (VFA), liver fat, intramuscular fat (IMF), pancreatic fat, renal sinus fat, and pericardial and epicardial fats] in adults with overweight and obesity, both with and without chronic diseases.

Methods

Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed were searched for original articles up to 1 March, 2024, that included exercise compared with control interventions on body weight and ectopic fat in adults with overweight or obesity. Weighted mean differences (WMD) for body weight, liver fat, pancreatic fat, and renal sinus fat and standardized mean differences (SMD) for VFA, IMF, pericardial and epicardial fats, and 95% confidence intervals were determined using random-effects models.

Results

Thirty-two studies, including 1488 participants and 38 intervention groups, met the inclusion criteria. The combined intervention of exercise and diet did not reduce body weight (WMD = -0.23 kg, P = 0.180), liver fat (WMD = 0.05%, P = 0.730), IMF (SMD = -0.08, P = 0.640), pericardial and epicardial fats (SMD = -0.12, P = 0.280), pancreatic fat (WMD = -0.24%, P = 0.370), and renal sinus fat (WMD = 0.01 cm2, P = 0.170) when compared with a diet-only group. Interestingly, exercise combined with diet significantly reduced VFA in participants with obesity (SMD = -0.12, P = 0.040) and healthy males (SMD = -0.33, P = 0.001) when compared with a diet-only group.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that combined exercise and dietary interventions did not lead to significant reductions in most ectopic fat depots when compared with diet alone. However, a modest reduction in VFA was observed in participants with obesity and healthy males. These results highlight the nuanced impact of exercise in combination with dietary interventions and the need to consider specific fat depots and participant characteristics in obesity management strategies.The trial was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42024546770.

Genetic inhibition of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase and prevention of alcohol-associated fatty liver in humans

Recent studies of animal models reported Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) as a potential therapeutic target for preventing alcohol-associated fatty liver (AFL), yet its efficacy and safety in humans remain unknown. We aim to estimate the effectiveness and safety of inhibiting NNMT in humans. We leveraged Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) data coupled with genetic information to perform a retrospective drug target validation study. We examined longitudinal clinical data from 612 individuals with excessive alcohol consumption. Two variants lowering NNMT protein levels were combined to calculate a weighted NNMT genetic score that could mimic mild inhibition of NNMT. Participants with an NNMT score above the median were classified as genetically inhibited, while others were considered non-inhibited. We then evaluated whether genetic inhibition of NNMT would affect the incidence of AFL or the risk of liver injury, to illuminate the effectiveness and safety of genetic inhibition of NNMT respectively. NNMT genetic inhibition correlated with a reduced AFL risk (hazard ratio [HR] 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49-0.90, P = 0.009) without a significant increase in serum aminotransferase levels (P > 0.10). Notably, elevated ALT and AST levels were observed (P < 0.05) in the genetically inhibited group prior to alcohol exposure. These findings suggest NNMT inhibition is a promising avenue for AFL prevention among individuals with excessive alcohol intake. They also underscore the need for precise target population identification to mitigate potential adverse effects.

Hepatic parenchymal hypoattenuation in dogs with diabetes mellitus on computed tomography consistent with hepatic steatosis

Hypoattenuation of the liver, consistent with hepatic steatosis or lipidosis, has been reported in veterinary patients. In people, measuring CT hepatic attenuation is diagnostic for hepatic steatosis, and hypoattenuation of the liver is defined as absolute if less than 40 HU or relative if the liver is 10 HU less than the spleen. The purpose of this study is to describe hepatic parenchymal attenuation in dogs with diabetes mellitus with or without diabetic ketosis (DK) or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), using the above categorization for absolute and relative hypoattenuation, as with humans. We hypothesized dogs with DK or DKA were more likely to have hypoattenuating livers. Twenty-seven diabetic dogs were included; fifteen were categorized in Group 1 as without DK or DKA, six in Group 2 as DK, and six in Group 3 as DKA. In Group 3, four of six dogs had absolute and relative hypoattenuating livers. Three of these were visually hypoattenuating to the vasculature, with one having negative attenuation and a histopathologic diagnosis of severe hepatic lipidosis. In Group 2, four of six dogs had relative hypoattenuating livers. In Group 1, only one of 15 dogs had a relatively hypoattenuating liver. Groups 2 and 3 had significantly lower absolute liver attenuation than Group 1. Presumed hepatic steatosis was present on CT and was more common with DK or DKA. These findings may help provide hepatic sampling recommendations and alter patient prognosis. Further research is needed to establish absolute and relative liver attenuation in dogs with correlation to histopathology and patient outcome.

A microRNA signature for valproate-induced steatosis in human hepatocytes and its application to predict fatty liver in paediatric epileptic patients on valproate therapy

Valproate (VPA) has been the first-line, most frequently prescribed antiepileptic drug in children over the past 50 years. VPA causes, idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity in some patients, who often presents with hepatic steatosis. Experimental studies also support that VPA has high potential to induce steatosis. However, there is an apparent lack of significant hepatic problems in neuropediatric units, likely because iatrogenic liver steatosis lacks specific biomarkers. Thus, it is possible that a relevant number of children under VPA have asymptomatic fatty liver. AIMS: 1) to demonstrate VPA-induced triglyceride (TG) accumulation in cultured human upcyte hepatocytes, 2) to identify miRNAs that are deregulated by VPA and associated with TG levels in these cells, and 3) to test these miRNAs, as potential non-invasive biomarkers, in plasma of paediatric epileptic patients on VPA, to identify those with a potential risk of liver steatosis. Human upcyte hepatocytes were exposed to subcytotoxic VPA concentrations. Hepatocytes increased intracellular TGs by 27 % and 45 % after 2 and 4 mM VPA for 24 h. The profiling of cellular miRNAs by microarray analysis after 4 mM VPA identified 43 deregulated human miRNAs (fold-change > 1.5 or < -1.5; FDR p<0.05). Some of them (n=11), which were validated by RTqPCR and showed correlation (Pearson r≥ 0.6) with intracellular TG levels, were selected as potential VPA-induced steatosis biomarkers. Next, we investigated the expression of these miRNAs in human plasma and found that 9 of them could be reliably quantified by RTqPCR: miR-485-3p, miR-127-3p, miR-30a-3p, miR-92b-3p, miR-212-3p, miR-182-5p, miR-183-5p, miR-500a-5p and miR-675-5p. Screening of this 9-miRNA signature in 80 paediatric epileptic patients on VPA identified 18 patients (23 %) that clustered separately because of important alterations in the selected plasma miRNAs. These patients were younger and had higher VPA blood concentrations and serum liver enzyme levels. In conclusion, VPA induced both TG accumulation and deregulation of a set of miRNAs in cultured human hepatocytes. Nine of these miRNAs have demonstrated potential as circulating biomarkers to identify VPA-induced steatosis in epileptic patients, which should require closer clinical follow-up.

Non-invasive prediction nomogram for predicting significant fibrosis in patients with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND AND AIM

This study aims to validate the efficacy of the conventional non-invasive score in predicting significant fibrosis in metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and to develop a non-invasive prediction model for MAFLD.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 7701 participants with MAFLD from August 2018 to December 2023. All participants were divided into a training cohort and a validation cohort. The study compared different subgroups' demographic, anthropometric, and laboratory examination indicators and conducted logistic regression analysis to assess the correlation between independent variables and liver fibrosis. Nomograms were created using the logistic regression model. The predictive values of noninvasive models and nomograms were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA).

RESULTS

Four nomograms were developed for the quantitative analysis of significant liver fibrosis risk based on the multivariate logistic regression analysis results. The nomogram's area under ROC curves (AUC) was 0.710, 0.714, 0.748, and 0.715 in overall MAFLD, OW-MAFLD, Lean-MAFLD, and T2DM-MAFLD, respectively. The nomogram had a higher AUC in all MAFLD participants and OW-MAFLD than the other non-invasive scores. The DCA curve showed that the net benefit of each nomogram was higher than that of APRI and FIB-4. In the validation cohort, the AUCs of the nomograms were 0.722, 0.750, 0.719, and 0.705, respectively.

CONCLUSION

APRI, FIB-4, and NFS performed poorly predicting significant fibrosis in patients with MAFLD. The new model demonstrated improved diagnostic accuracy and clinical applicability in identifying significant fibrosis in MAFLD.

An ultrasound multiparametric method to quantify liver fat using magnetic resonance as standard reference

BACKGROUND & AIMS

There is an unmet need for a reliable and reproducible non-invasive measure of fatty liver content (FLC) for monitoring steatotic liver disease in clinical practice. Sonographic FLC assessment is qualitative and operator-dependent, and the dynamic quantification range of algorithms based on a single ultrasound (US) parameter is unsatisfactory. This study aims to develop and validate a new multiparametric algorithm based on B-mode images to quantify FLC using Magnetic Resonance (MR) values as standard reference.

METHODS

Patients with elevated liver enzymes and/or bright liver at US (N = 195) underwent FLC evaluation by MR and by US. Five US-derived quantitative features [attenuation rate(AR), hepatic renal-ratio(HR), diaphragm visualization(DV), hepatic-portal-vein-ratio(HPV), portal-vein-wall(PVW)] were combined by mixed linear/exponential regression in a multiparametric model (Steatoscore2.0). One hundred and thirty-four subjects were used for training and 61 for independent validations; score-computation underwent an inter-operator reproducibility analysis.

RESULTS

The model is based on a mixed linear/exponential combination of 3 US parameters (AR, HR, DV), modelled by 2 equations according to AR values. The computation of FLC by Steatoscore2.0 (mean ± std, 7.91% ± 8.69) and MR (mean ± std, 8.10% ± 10.31) is highly correlated with a low root mean square error in both training/validation cohorts, respectively (R = 0.92/0.86 and RMSE = 5.15/4.62, p < .001). Steatoscore2.0 identified patients with MR-FLC≥5%/≥10% with sensitivity = 93.2%/89.4%, specificity = 86.1%/95.8%, AUROC = 0.958/0.975, respectively and correlated with MR (R = 0.92) significantly (p < .001) better than CAP (R = 0.73).

CONCLUSIONS

Multiparametric Steatoscore2.0 measures FLC providing values highly comparable with MR. It is reliable, inexpensive, easy to use with any US equipment and qualifies to be tested in larger, prospective studies as new tool for the non-invasive screening and monitoring of FLC.

Vitamin E for people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

RATIONALE

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), recently renamed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is the most common liver disease worldwide, affecting an estimated 3 in 10 people. The available treatment is far from optimal. Diet and lifestyle changes to promote weight loss and weight loss maintenance are the basic management of NAFLD, but these are difficult to achieve and maintain. Vitamin E has shown beneficial effects on oxidative stress, which plays a major role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. However, there is uncertainty about the effects of vitamin E for people with NAFLD.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the beneficial and harmful effects of vitamin E alone, or vitamin E in combination with other vitamins or minerals, versus placebo or no intervention in people with NAFLD.

SEARCH METHODS

We used recommended Cochrane search methods. The latest search was performed on 2 February 2024.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

We included randomised clinical trials that compared vitamin E alone, or in combination with other vitamins or minerals, at any dose, duration, and route of administration, versus placebo or no intervention, in people with NAFLD of any age, sex, or ethnic origin. We included participants with imaging techniques or histology-proven NAFLD and minimal alcohol intake, and participants with steatohepatitis who had liver biopsies.

OUTCOMES

Our critical outcomes were all-cause mortality, liver-related mortality, and serious adverse events. Our important outcomes were liver-related morbidity, health-related quality of life, non-serious adverse events, biochemical response, and imaging assessment of the degree of fatty liver.

RISK OF BIAS

We used Cochrane's RoB 2 tool to assess risk of bias for each of the predefined outcomes.

SYNTHESIS METHODS

We used standard Cochrane methods. We used GRADE to assess the certainty of evidence.

INCLUDED STUDIES

We included 16 randomised clinical trials involving 1066 paediatric and adult participants with NAFLD. Experimental groups received vitamin E alone (14 trials) or vitamin E in combination with vitamin C (2 trials). Control groups received placebo in 13 trials and no intervention in three trials. Daily dosages of oral vitamin E ranged from 298 international units (IU) to 1000 IU. Co-interventions were lifestyle and low-calorie diet interventions in 13 trials, ursodeoxycholic acid in one trial, unchanged diet and physical activity in one trial, and baseline treatments for type 2 diabetes in one trial. Nine trials had more than two intervention groups, but we used only the groups in which vitamin E alone or vitamin E in combination with vitamin C were compared with placebo or no intervention. In total, 7.9% (84/1066) of participants dropped out. Follow-up ranged from 2 months to 24 months.

SYNTHESIS OF RESULTS

Vitamin E versus placebo or no intervention The effects of vitamin E versus placebo or no intervention on all-cause mortality (risk ratio (RR) 3.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57 to 20.86; 3 trials, 351 participants; very low certainty evidence) and serious adverse events (RR 1.91, 95% CI 0.30 to 12.01; 2 trials, 283 participants; very low certainty evidence) are very uncertain. There were no data on liver-related mortality or liver-related morbidity. The effects of vitamin E versus placebo or no intervention on physical health-related quality of life (mean difference (MD) 0.74, 95% CI -0.52 to 2.01; 2 trials, 251 participants; higher scores indicate better quality of life; very low certainty evidence); psychosocial health-related quality of life (MD -0.57, 95% CI -4.11 to 2.97; 2 trials, 251 participants; higher scores indicate better quality of life; very low certainty evidence); and non-serious adverse events (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.17; 2 trials, 283 participants; very low certainty evidence) are also very uncertain. There were no data on proportion of participants without a decrease in liver enzymes. Vitamin E likely slightly reduces serum alanine transaminase (ALT) (MD -9.29, 95% CI -13.69 to -4.89; 11 trials, 708 participants; moderate certainty evidence) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (MD -4.90, 95% CI -7.24 to -2.57; 11 trials, 695 participants; moderate certainty evidence) levels compared with placebo or no intervention. Vitamin E may slightly reduce serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels (MD -5.21, 95% CI -9.88 to -0.54; 5 trials, 416 participants; very low certainty evidence), but the evidence is very uncertain. Vitamin E plus vitamin C versus placebo There were no data on all-cause mortality, liver-related mortality, serious adverse events, liver-related morbidity, health-related quality of life, and non-serious adverse events. The effects of vitamin E plus vitamin C on reducing serum ALT (MD -0.50, 95% CI -4.58 to 3.58; 2 trials, 133 participants; very low certainty evidence), AST (MD 0.09, 95% CI -3.39 to 3.57; 1 trial, 88 participants; very low certainty evidence), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels (MD 1.58, 95% CI -3.22 to 6.38; 1 trial, 88 participants; very low certainty evidence) are very uncertain. We identified three ongoing trials, and six trials are awaiting classification.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Given the very low certainty evidence, we do not know if long-term treatment (18 months to 24 months) with vitamin E administered alone affects all-cause mortality, serious adverse events, quality of life, or non-serious adverse events in people with NAFLD when compared with placebo or no intervention. We found no data on liver-related mortality, liver-related morbidity, or proportion of participants without a decrease in liver enzymes. Vitamin E likely reduces ALT and AST slightly when compared with placebo, but whether this has any impact on the clinical course in people with NAFLD is unknown. The trials on vitamin E plus vitamin C did not report on all-cause mortality, liver-related mortality, serious adverse events, liver-related morbidity, health-related quality of life, or non-serious adverse events. Given the very low certainty evidence, we do not know the effects of vitamin E plus vitamin C on liver enzymes in people with NAFLD when compared with placebo.

FUNDING

Three trials disclosed no external funding. Five trials were industry funded. Five trials were funded by organisations with no vested interests. Three trials did not provide any information on clinical trial support or sponsorship.

REGISTRATION

Protocol: doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD015033.

Using Dual-source Photon-counting Detector CT to Simultaneously Quantify Fat and Iron Content: A Phantom Study

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the feasibility of using photon-counting detector computed tomography (PCD CT) to simultaneously quantify fat and iron content MATERIALS AND METHODS: Phantoms with pure fat, pure iron and fat-iron deposition were scanned by two tube voltages (120 and 140 kV) and two image quality (IQ) settings (80 and 145). Using an iron-specific three-material decomposition algorithm, virtual noniron (VNI) and virtual iron content (VIC) images were generated at quantum iterative reconstruction (QIR) strength levels 1-4.

RESULTS

Significant linear correlations were observed between known fat content (FC) and VNI for pure fat phantoms (r = 0.981-0.999, p < 0.001) and between known iron content (IC) and VIC for pure iron phantoms (r = 0.897-0.975, p < 0.001). In fat-iron phantoms, the measurement for fat content of 5-30% demonstrated good linearity between FC and VNI (r = 0.919-0.990, p < 0.001), and VNI were not affected by 75, 150, and 225 µmol/g iron overload (p = 0.174-0.519). The measurement for iron demonstrated a linear range of 75-225 µmol/g between IC and VIC (r = 0.961-0.994, p < 0.001) and VIC was not confounded by the coexisting 5%, 20%, and 30% fat deposition (p = 0.943-0.999). The Bland-Altman of fat and iron measurements were not significantly different at varying tube voltages and IQ settings (all p > 0.05). No significant difference in VNI and VIC at QIR 1-4.

CONCLUSION

PCD CT can accurately and simultaneously quantify fat and iron, including scan parameters with lower radiation dose.

Evaluation of Liver Parenchyma in Dogs with Hyperlipidemia Using Ultrasound Attenuation Imaging (ATI)

(1) Background: Ultrasound attenuation imaging (ATI) is an innovative technique that allows for the evaluation of the degree of lipid infiltration of the liver parenchyma in a simple and non-invasive way. The objective of this study was to verify the applicability of the ATI method in the evaluation of hyperlipidemia. (2) Methods: This study included 53 dogs between January 2021 and December 2022, of which 21 were healthy (A) and 32 had hyperlipidemia (B). The dogs of Group B were divided into mild hyperlipidemic (B1; n = 15) and moderate/severe hyperlipidemic (B2; n = 17). Each dog underwent biochemical examination, B-mode ultrasound and ATI investigation at the liver level via a right intercostal approach. (3) Results: The mean AC value was significantly higher in Group B (0.95 ± 0.23 dB/cm/MHz) compared to Group A (0.81 ± 0.10 dB/cm/MHz). No statistically significant differences were highlighted regarding the ATI values between the subjects with mild and moderate/severe hyperlipidemia. (4) Conclusion: ATI could be a promising method for the non-invasive evaluation of hepatic steatosis in veterinary medicine.

Additive effect of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease on left ventricular function and global strain in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: a 3.0 T cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking study

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) are both metabolic disorders that negatively impact the cardiovascular system. This study comprehensively analyzed the additive effect of MAFLD on left ventricular function and global strain in T2DM patients by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR).

METHODS

Data of 261 T2DM patients, including 109 with and 152 without MAFLD, as well as 73 matched normal controls from our medical center between June 2015 and March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. CMR-derived parameters, including LV function and global strain parameters, were compared among different groups. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the impact of various factors on LV function and global strain.

RESULTS

Our investigation revealed a progressive deterioration in LV functional parameters across three groups: control subjects, T2DM patients without MAFLD, and T2DM patients with MAFLD. Statistically significant increases in left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), left ventricular end-systolic volume index (LVESVI), left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were observed, along with decreases in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular global function index (LVGFI). Among these three groups, significant reductions were also noted in the absolute values of LV global radial, circumferential, and longitudinal peak strains (GRPS, GCPS, and GLPS), as well as in peak systolic (PSSR) and peak diastolic strain rates (PDSR). MAFLD was identified as an independent predictor of LVEF, LVMI, LVGFI, GRPS, GCPS, and GLPS in multivariate linear analysis. Besides, the incidence of late gadolinium enhancement was higher in MAFLD patients than in non-MAFLD patients (50/109 [45.9%] vs. 42/152 [27.6%], p = 0.003). Furthermore, escalating MAFLD severity was associated with a numerical deterioration in both LV function parameters and global strain values.

CONCLUSIONS

This study thoroughly compared CMR parameters in T2DM patients with and without MAFLD, uncovering MAFLD's adverse impact on LV function and deformation in T2DM patients. These findings highlight the critical need for early detection and comprehensive management of cardiac function in T2DM patients with MAFLD.

Non-Invasive Detection of Early-Stage Fatty Liver Disease via an On-Skin Impedance Sensor and Attention-Based Deep Learning

Early-stage nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a silent condition, with most cases going undiagnosed, potentially progressing to liver cirrhosis and cancer. A non-invasive and cost-effective detection method for early-stage NAFLD detection is a public health priority but challenging. In this study, an adhesive, soft on-skin sensor with low electrode-skin contact impedance for early-stage NAFLD detection is fabricated. A method is developed to synthesize platinum nanoparticles and reduced graphene quantum dots onto the on-skin sensor to reduce electrode-skin contact impedance by increasing double-layer capacitance, thereby enhancing detection accuracy. Furthermore, an attention-based deep learning algorithm is introduced to differentiate impedance signals associated with early-stage NAFLD in high-fat-diet-fed low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (Ldlr-/-) mice compared to healthy controls. The integration of an adhesive, soft on-skin sensor with low electrode-skin contact impedance and the attention-based deep learning algorithm significantly enhances the detection accuracy for early-stage NAFLD, achieving a rate above 97.5% with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 1.0. The findings present a non-invasive approach for early-stage NAFLD detection and display a strategy for improved early detection through on-skin electronics and deep learning.

Identification of hepatic steatosis among persons with and without HIV using natural language processing

BACKGROUND

Steatotic liver disease (SLD) is a growing phenomenon, and our understanding of its determinants has been limited by our ability to identify it clinically. Natural language processing (NLP) can potentially identify hepatic steatosis systematically within large clinical repositories of imaging reports. We validated the performance of an NLP algorithm for the identification of SLD in clinical imaging reports and applied this tool to a large population of people with and without HIV.

METHODS

Patients were included in the analysis if they enrolled in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study between 2001 and 2017, had an imaging report inclusive of the liver, and had ≥2 years of observation before the imaging study. SLD was considered present when reports contained the terms "fatty," "steatosis," "steatotic," or "steatohepatitis." The performance of the SLD NLP algorithm was compared to a clinical review of 800 reports. We then applied the NLP algorithm to the first eligible imaging study and compared patient characteristics by SLD and HIV status.

RESULTS

NLP achieved 100% sensitivity and 88.5% positive predictive value for the identification of SLD. When applied to 26,706 eligible Veterans Aging Cohort Study patient imaging reports, SLD was identified in 72.2% and did not significantly differ by HIV status. SLD was associated with a higher prevalence of metabolic comorbidities, alcohol use disorder, and hepatitis B and C, but not HIV infection.

CONCLUSIONS

While limited to those undergoing radiologic study, the NLP algorithm accurately identified SLD in people with and without HIV and offers a valuable tool to evaluate the determinants and consequences of hepatic steatosis.

Non-Invasive Biomarkers for Differentiating Alcohol Associated Hepatitis from Acute Decompensation in Patients with ALD

Alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) is the most severe form of alcohol-related liver disease. The natural course of alcohol-related liver disease is influenced by heavy alcohol consumption and abstinence periods. Differentiating between AH and decompensated cirrhosis (DC) could be extremely challenging in clinical practice due to clinical and bioclinical similarities. The severity of AH is made on bioclinical grounds, the severe form necessitating corticotherapy treatment. Liver biopsy is still the standard of care for establishing the diagnosis in atypical presentations. The pathogenesis of AH is an interplay between gene expression, cytokine dysregulation, the immune system and the gut microbiota. Non-invasive tests are increasingly and widely used for the purpose of early diagnosis and reliable prognostication. The non-invasive tests are emerging in concordance with disease pathogenesis. In this review, we describe the non-invasive tools that can distinguish AH from DC. We outline the available cut-offs and their performance in diagnosis and prognosis, as well as in assessing the treatment response to corticotherapy. Promising circulating biomarkers like keratin 18, microRNAs and sphingolipids will be in the review.

Point-of-care device for the noninvasive assessment of hepatic macrosteatosis in liver donors

BACKGROUND

Quantification of macrosteatosis (MS) in the liver is important given that it has shown to directly correlate with adverse post-liver transplant (LT) outcomes. With advances in medical technology and an implicit understanding of pathology, noninvasive methods of quantitatively assessing MS are in various stages of development. Each of these methods is based on the physical principles of differences between a fat-laden hepatocyte and a normal one.

METHODS

In this regard, after a proof-of-concept study on a prototype for a simple, real-time, handheld device using the principle of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, this study presents an upgraded point-of-care (POC) device for the noninvasive assessment of hepatic MS in liver donors.

RESULTS

The device was validated on cohort of donor livers and showed a sensitivity (0.0021 V/% fat) and highly correlated (r = 0.9868, P < .0001) with gold-standard liver biopsy. Results showed that this upgraded POC device provides a reliable method for the noninvasive assessment of hepatic MS, which is crucial for selecting suitable donor livers for LT.

CONCLUSION

The device has the potential to be an invaluable apparatus at the hands of the organ-retrieving surgeon. It is noninvasive, portable (handheld), and economic; provides real-time readings of the percentage of MS; and can be efficaciously handled by any member of the organ-retrieving team.

Hepatic fat quantification in dual-layer computed tomography using a three-material decomposition algorithm

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a three-material decomposition algorithm for hepatic fat quantification using a dual-layer computed tomography (DL-CT) and MRI as reference standard on a large patient cohort.

METHOD

A total of 104 patients were retrospectively included in our study, i.e., each patient had an MRI exam and a DL-CT exam in our institution within a maximum of 31 days. Four regions of interest (ROIs) were positioned blindly and similarly in the liver, by two independent readers on DL-CT and MRI images. For DL-CT exams, all imaging phases were included. Fat fraction agreement between CT and MRI was performed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), determination coefficients R2, and Bland-Altman plots. Diagnostic performance was determined using sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. The cutoff for steatosis was 5%.

RESULTS

Correlation between MRI and CT data was excellent for all perfusion phases with ICC calculated at 0.99 for each phase. Determination coefficients R2 were also good for all perfusion phases (about 0.95 for all phases). Performance of DL-CT in the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis was good with sensitivity between 89 and 91% and specificity ranging from 75 to 80%, depending on the perfusion phase. The positive predictive value was ranging from 78 to 93% and the negative predictive value from 82 to 86%.

CONCLUSION

Multi-material decomposition in DL-CT allows quantification of hepatic fat fraction with a good correlation to MRI data.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT

The use of DL-CT allows for detection of hepatic steatosis. This is especially interesting as an opportunistic finding CT performed for other reasons, as early detection can help prevent or slowdown the development of liver metabolic disease.

KEY POINTS

• Hepatic fat fractions provided by the dual-layer CT algorithm is strongly correlated with that measured on MRI. • Dual-layer CT is accurate to detect hepatic steatosis ≥ 5%. • Dual-layer CT allows opportunistic detection of steatosis, on CT scan performed for various indications.

pH-triggered hydrophility-adjustable fluorescent probes for simultaneously imaging lipid droplets and lysosomes and the application in fatty liver detection

To study the collaboration between lipid droplets (LDs) and lysosomes, and the lipid change in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), herein two pH-triggered hydrophility-adjustable fluorescent probes (LD-Lyso and LD-Lyso 1) are designed. The mechanism is based on cyclization and ring-opening with thorough consideration of pH and hydrophilic differences between LDs and lysosomes. Both of the two probes exist in ring-opening form and emit red fluorescence in acidic environment, while they exist in cyclized form and the emission is blueshifted in alkaline environment due to reduced conjugate planes. Moreover, LD-Lyso exhibits near infrared fluorescence at 740 nm under ring-opening form, which facilitates further cell, tissue, and in vivo imaging. The cell imaging results show that LD-Lyso can simultaneously target LDs and lysosomes by two different colors. Impressively, LD-Lyso cannot only detect NAFLD tissues from the normal tissue, but also distinguish different degrees of NAFLD tissues and mice, which provides a very promising tool for timely diagnosis of early NAFLD.

Genome-wide association study of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in a Korean population

Genome-wide association studies have identified several genetic variants associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. To emphasize metabolic abnormalities in fatty liver, metabolic (dysfunction)-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has been introduced; thus, we aimed to investigate single-nucleotide polymorphisms related to MAFLD and its subtypes. A genome-wide association study was performed to identify genetic factors related to MAFLD. We used a Korean population-based sample of 2282 subjects with MAFLD and a control group of 4669. We replicated the results in a validation sample which included 639 patients with MAFLD and 1578 controls. Additionally, we categorized participants into three groups, no MAFLD, metabolic dysfunction (MD)-MAFLD, and overweight/obese-MAFLD. After adjusting for age, sex, and principal component scores, rs738409 [risk allele G] and rs3810622 [risk allele T], located in the PNPLA3 gene, showed significant associations with MAFLD (P-values, discovery set = 1.60 × 10-15 and 4.84 × 10-10; odds ratios, 1.365 and 1.284, validation set = 1.39 × 10-4, and 7.15 × 10-4, odds ratios, 1.299 and 1.264, respectively). An additional SNP rs59148799 [risk allele G] located in the GATAD2A gene showed a significant association with MAFLD (P-values, discovery set = 2.08 × 10-8 and validation set = 0.034, odds ratios, 1.387 and 1.250). rs738409 was significantly associated with MAFLD subtypes ([overweight/obese-MAFLD; odds ratio (95% confidence interval), P-values, 1.515 (1.351-1.700), 1.43 × 10-12 and MD-MAFLD: 1.300 (1.191-1.416), 2.90 × 10-9]. There was a significant relationship between rs3810622 and overweight/obese-MAFLD and MD-MAFLD [odds ratios (95% confidence interval), P-values, 1.418 (1.258, 1.600), 1.21 × 10-8 and 1.225 (1.122, 1.340), 7.06 × 10-6, respectively]; the statistical significance remained in the validation set. PNPLA3 was significantly associated with MAFLD and MAFLD subtypes in the Korean population. These results indicate that genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of MAFLD.

The efficacy of antiviral treatment in chronic hepatitis B patients with hepatic steatosis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

With a drastic increase in the number of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with coexisting nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), there is an urgent need to evaluate antiviral treatment effects in this special population.

METHODS

CHB patients with hepatic steatosis (CHB + HS) were prospectively recruited with followed-up of 3 years. HS and liver fibrosis were assessed by transient elastography. HS was defined as controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) ≥248 dB/m, and fibrosis progression was defined with ≥1-stage fibrosis increment. Multivariate and propensity score matching (PSM) analysis were used to evaluate antiviral therapy effects on fibrosis progression.

RESULTS

In total 212 recruited CHB + HS patients (median age 36 years, median ALT 59 U/L), 49.1% (104/212) received antiviral therapy and 50.9% (108/212) did not. Among patients with antiviral therapy, rates of serum HBV DNA undetectable, HBeAg and HBsAg loss, and ALT normalization at year 3 were 88.5%, 31.0%, 8.7% and 70.2%, respectively. Patients with mild-moderate HS didn't differ patients with severe HS regarding biochemical and virological responses. Antiviral therapy was independently associated with a lower risk of fibrosis progression among the entire cohort (odds ratio 0.473, 95% CI 0.245-0.911, P = 0.025). This finding was further verified by PSM analysis. When stratified by the severity of HS, the antiviral therapy benefits in reducing fibrosis progression were mainly seen in patients with mild-moderate HS.

CONCLUSIONS

Among CHB + HS patients, long-term antiviral treatment effectively inhibits HBV replication and reduces fibrosis progression. Our findings have implications for the optimal management of this population.

Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver clinical practice guidelines on liver transplantation

Liver transplantation is a highly complex and challenging field of clinical practice. Although it was originally developed in western countries, it has been further advanced in Asian countries through the use of living donor liver transplantation. This method of transplantation is the only available option in many countries in the Asia-Pacific region due to the lack of deceased organ donation. As a result of this clinical situation, there is a growing need for guidelines that are specific to the Asia-Pacific region. These guidelines provide comprehensive recommendations for evidence-based management throughout the entire process of liver transplantation, covering both deceased and living donor liver transplantation. In addition, the development of these guidelines has been a collaborative effort between medical professionals from various countries in the region. This has allowed for the inclusion of diverse perspectives and experiences, leading to a more comprehensive and effective set of guidelines.

Development and validation of a novel non-invasive test for diagnosing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese children

BACKGROUND

With the exploding prevalence of obesity, many children are at risk of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Using anthropometric and laboratory parameters, our study aimed to develop a model to quantitatively evaluate liver fat content (LFC) in children with obesity.

METHODS

A well-characterized cohort of 181 children between 5 and 16 years of age were recruited to the study in the Endocrinology Department as the derivation cohort. The external validation cohort comprised 77 children. The assessment of liver fat content was performed using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Anthropometry and laboratory metrics were measured in all subjects. B-ultrasound examination was carried out in the external validation cohort. The Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman bivariate correlation analyses, univariable linear regressions and multivariable linear regression were used to build the optimal predictive model.

RESULTS

The model was based on indicators including alanine aminotransferase, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, triglycerides, waist circumference and Tanner stage. The adjusted R2 of the model was 0.589, which presented high sensitivity and specificity both in internal [sensitivity of 0.824, specificity of 0.900, area under curve (AUC) of 0.900 with a 95% confidence interval: 0.783-1.000] and external validation (sensitivity of 0.918 and specificity of 0.821, AUC of 0.901 with a 95% confidence interval: 0.818-0.984).

CONCLUSIONS

Our model based on five clinical indicators was simple, non-invasive, and inexpensive; it had high sensitivity and specificity in predicting LFC in children. Thus, it may be useful for identifying children with obesity who are at risk for developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Intersecting Pathways: Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Psoriasis Duet-A Comprehensive Review

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated, inflammatory disease that has a major impact on patients' quality of life. Common psoriasis-associated comorbidities include cardiovascular diseases, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel syndromes, type-2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is affecting a substantial portion of the population and is closely linked with psoriasis. The interplay involves low-grade chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and genetic factors. The review presents the pathophysiological connections between psoriasis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, emphasizing the role of cytokines, adipokines, and inflammatory cascades. The "hepato-dermal axis" is introduced, highlighting how psoriatic inflammation potentiates hepatic inflammation and vice versa. According to the new guidelines, the preliminary examination for individuals with psoriasis should encompass evaluations of transaminase levels and ultrasound scans as part of the initial assessment for this cohort. Considering the interplay, recent guidelines recommend screening for NAFLD in moderate-to-severe psoriasis cases. Treatment implications arise, particularly with medications impacting liver function. Understanding the intricate relationship between psoriasis and NAFLD provides valuable insights into shared pathogenetic mechanisms. This knowledge has significant clinical implications, guiding screening practices, treatment decisions, and the development of future therapeutic approaches for these chronic conditions.

The additive effect of herbal medicines on lifestyle modification in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is difficult to manage because of its complex pathophysiological mechanism. There is still no effective treatment other than lifestyle modification (LM) such as dietary modifications, regular physical activity, and gradual weight loss. Herbal medicines from traditional Chinese Medicine and Korean Medicine have been shown to be effective in the treatment of NAFLD based on many randomized controlled trials. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the additive effects of herbal medicines on LM in the treatment of NAFLD. Methods: Two databases (PubMed and Cochrane library) were searched using keywords related to NAFLD and herbal medicines. Then the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the therapeutic effects of herbal medicines combined with LM were selected. The pooled results were analyzed as mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for continuous data, and risk ratio (RR) with 95% CI for dichotomous data. Results and Discussion: Eight RCTs with a total of 603 participants were included for this review study. Participants were administered with multi-herbal formulas (Yiqi Sanju Formula, Tiaogan Lipi Recipe, and Lingguizhugan Decoction) or single-herbal extracts (Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Magnoliae offcinalis, Trigonella Foenum-graecum L. semen, Portulaca oleracea L., and Rhus Coriaria L. fructus) along with LM for 12 weeks. The meta-analysis showed a significant improvement in ultrasoundbased liver steatosis measured by odds ratio (OR) in the herbal medicine group than those with LM alone (OR = 7.9, 95% CI 0.7 to 95.2, p < 0.1). In addition, herbal medicines decreased the levels of aspartate transferase (MD -7.5, 95% CI -13.4 to -1.7, p = 0.01) and total cholesterol (MD -16.0, 95% CI -32.7 to 0.7, p = 0.06) more than LM alone. The meta-analysis partially showed clinical evidence supporting the additive benefits of herbal medicines for NAFLD in combination with LM. Whereas, it is necessary to provide a solid basis through higher-quality studies using a specific herbal medicine.

Adverse Metabolic Phenotypes in Parenterally Fed Neonatal Pigs Do Not Persist into Adolescence

BACKGROUND

Nutrition during fetal and neonatal life is an important determinant for the risk of adult-onset diseases, especially type 2 diabetes and obesity.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to determine whether total parenteral nutrition (TPN) compared with enteral formula feeding [enteral nutrition (EN)] in term piglets during the first 2 wk after birth would increase the long-term (5-mo) development of metabolic syndrome phenotypes with adverse glucose homeostasis, fatty liver disease, and obesity.

METHODS

Neonatal female pigs were administered TPN (n = 12) or fed enterally with a liquid enteral milk-replacer formula (EN, n = 12) for 14 d. After transitioning TPN pigs to enteral feeding of liquid formula (days 15-26), both groups were adapted to a solid high-fat diet (30% of the total diet) and sucrose (20% of the total diet) diet (days 27-33), which was fed until the end of the study (140 d). Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at 14, 45, and 140 d. Serum biochemistry and glucose-insulin values (after a fasting intravenous glucose tolerance test) were obtained at 140 d. Liver and muscle were analyzed for insulin receptor signaling and triglycerides.

RESULTS

Body weight was similar, but percent fat was higher, whereas percent lean and bone mineral density were lower in TPN than in EN pigs (P < 0.01) at 45 d of age but not at 140 d. At 140 d, there were no differences in serum markers of liver injury or lipidemia. Intravenous glucose tolerance test at 140 d showed a lower (P < 0.05) AUC for both glucose and insulin in TPN than in EN pigs, but the ratio of AUCs of insulin and glucose was not different between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Administration of TPN during the neonatal period increased adipose deposition that transiently persisted in early adolescence when challenged with a high-fat diet but was not sustained or manifested as glucose intolerance.

The Effect of Testosterone Replacement Therapy on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Older Hypogonadal Men

CONTEXT

Male hypogonadism is associated with visceral obesity and the metabolic syndrome: factors important for the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The Testosterone Trials (The T Trials) showed testosterone (T) treatment compared with placebo in older hypogonadal men was associated with decreases in cholesterol and insulin levels suggesting that T treatment may improve NAFLD.

OBJECTIVE

Compare effects of T vs placebo treatment on NAFLD scores and liver scans in elderly hypogonadal men.

METHODS

Secondary data analyses from 479 older hypogonadal men with total T < 275 ng/dL from The T Trials were performed. Three clinical liver fat scores-lipid accumulation product index, hepatic steatosis index, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-metabolic syndrome score-and liver computed tomography (CT) Hounsfield units and liver to spleen ratio were evaluated at baseline and 12 months after treatment.

RESULTS

There were no statistically significant differences of change in lipid accumulation product index (P = .98), hepatic steatosis index (P = .67), and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-metabolic syndrome (P = .52) in 246 men treated with T compared with 233 treated with placebo for 12 months. Liver CT showed no statistically significant difference of change in Hounsfield units (P = .24; n = 71 for T, n = 69 for placebo) and liver to spleen ratio (P = .74; n = 55 for T, n = 62 for placebo) between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study did not show improvement of NAFLD in older hypogonadal men after 12 months of T vs placebo treatment, as assessed by 3 clinical scores and liver CT for hepatic steatosis. Future studies with longer treatment duration and additional NAFLD diagnostic modalities as primary outcome are warranted.

Treatment with a new barbituric acid derivative suppresses diet-induced metabolic dysfunction and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice

INTRODUCTION

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease, often accompanied by obesity, diabetes, and increased risks of depression and anxiety. Currently, there are no FDA-approved drugs to treat NAFLD and its related systemic symptoms. Previously, we identified a new barbituric acid derivative (BA-5) that expressed effectiveness against fibrosis and drug-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIMS

This study investigated the potential of BA-5 against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD and mood disorders in mice.

MAIN METHODS

Six-weeks-old male C57BL/6 mice were fed with a 45 % HFD for 8 weeks to induce NAFLD and associated metabolic disorders. Mice were treated with a BA-5 and the therapeutic effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms were investigated.

KEY FINDINGS

Administration of BA-5 significantly reduced serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), fatty acids (FA), and triglycerides (TG) in HFD-fed mice. BA-5 treatment decreased expressions of hepatic lipogenesis-related markers (acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY)), increased fatty acid oxidation markers (carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) and acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (ACOX1)), and attenuated hepatic fat accumulation in HFD-fed mice. Moreover, HFD-induced adipocyte size enlargement and activation of lipolysis markers such as phosphorylated (p)-hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) 565, p-HSL 660, and perilipin were inhibited in BA-5-treated mice. Notably, HFD-induced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors significantly improved in the BA-5 treated group through enhanced anti-inflammatory responses in the hippocampus.

SIGNIFICANCE

This study provides new insights into clinical therapeutic strategies of barbituric acid derivatives for HFD-induced NAFLD and associated mood disturbances.

Serum vitamin D is associated with ultrasound-defined hepatic fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Evidences from population-based investigations on the exact relationship between vitamin D and the severity of liver fibrosis remain debated and conflicting. Here, we aim to explore the relationship between serum vitamin D and ultrasound-defined advanced hepatic fibrosis in the US participants with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

METHODS

In the retrospective study, individuals with intact information on interesting variables from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were included. NAFLD was diagnosed on the basis of controlling attenuation parameter (CAP) value≥ 274 dB/m without causes of other chronic hepatic diseases. We identified advanced fibrosis grades (F2) by liver stiffness measurement (LSM) score of ≥ 8.2 kPa in NAFLD patients. The impact of elevated serum vitamin D on the prevalence of hepatic fibrosis was assessed by multivariate logistic regression models on the basis of the NHANES recommended weights.

RESULTS

The study involved 1624 subjects with NAFLD in total, and 305 (18.28 %, weighted%) of whom were diagnosed with advanced hepatic fibrosis according to the definition based on parameters obtained from vibration controlled transient elastography (VCTE). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, serum vitamin D presented a negative relationship to hepatic fibrosis with lower odds in patients with hepatic steatosis after being adjusted for potential confounding factors (fully adjusted: OR=0.47, 95 % CI: 0.24-0.90, p = 0.034). Our subgroup analysis revealed that the inverse relationship was still existed in males (fully adjusted: OR = 0.34, 95 % CI: 0.17-0.70, p = 0.014), non-obese subjects (fully adjusted: OR = 0.20, 95 % CI: 0.04-0.89, p = 0.042) and participants below 60 years (fully adjusted: OR = 0.43, 95 % CI: 0.21-0.90, p = 0.033), whereas in models adjusted for the potential confounding factors, no statistically significant correlation was noted in females, obese subjects or subjects with age≥ 60 years.

CONCLUSIONS

This large population-based investigation indicated that elevated serum vitamin D reduced the onset of advanced fibrosis diagnosed by ultrasound in males, non-obese subjects and younger participants with NAFLD.

Bioinformatics analysis and machine learning approach applied to the identification of novel key genes involved in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) comprises a range of chronic liver diseases that result from the accumulation of excess triglycerides in the liver, and which, in its early phases, is categorized NAFLD, or hepato-steatosis with pure fatty liver. The mortality rate of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is more than NAFLD; therefore, diagnosing the disease in its early stages may decrease liver damage and increase the survival rate. In the current study, we screened the gene expression data of NAFLD patients and control samples from the public dataset GEO to detect DEGs. Then, the correlation betweenbetween the top selected DEGs and clinical data was evaluated. In the present study, two GEO datasets (GSE48452, GSE126848) were downloaded. The dysregulated expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by machine learning methods (Penalize regression models). Then, the shared DEGs between the two training datasets were validated using validation datasets. ROC-curve analysis was used to identify diagnostic markers. R software analyzed the interactions between DEGs, clinical data, and fatty liver. Ten novel genes, including ABCF1, SART3, APC5, NONO, KAT7, ZPR1, RABGAP1, SLC7A8, SPAG9, and KAT6A were found to have a differential expression between NAFLD and healthy individuals. Based on validation results and ROC analysis, NR4A2 and IGFBP1b were identified as diagnostic markers. These key genes may be predictive markers for the development of fatty liver. It is recommended that these key genes are assessed further as possible predictive markers during the development of fatty liver.

Time-Restricted Fasting Improves Liver Steatosis in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease-A Single Blinded Crossover Trial

BACKGROUND

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with visceral adiposity. We assessed the effectiveness of time-restricted fasting (TRF) for 16 h daily without calorie restrictions compared to standard care (SC; diet and lifestyle advice) in improving visceral adiposity and steatosis via controlled attenuation parameter (CAP).

METHODS

In a prospective single-blind randomized controlled trial, 32 participants with NAFLD were randomly assigned to TRF or SC for 12 weeks. The secondary endpoints were changes in liver stiffness, anthropometry, blood pressure, and other metabolic factors.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight participants completed the first arm of the study (TRF = 14, SC = 14), with 23 completing the crossover arm (TRF = 10, SC = 13). The baseline demographics were similar between the groups. Intermittent fasting caused a significant decrease in hepatic steatosis (p = 0.038), weight (p = 0.005), waist circumference (p = 0.001), and BMI (p = 0.005) compared to standard care. Intermittent fasting also resulted in additional within-group changes that were not seen in the standard care intervention.

CONCLUSION

TRF offers superior improvements in patients with NAFLD, improving steatosis, weight, and waist circumference despite a lack of change in overall caloric intake. Time-restricted fasting should be considered as a primary weight loss intervention in the context of NAFLD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ACTRN12613000935730.

CT-based methods for assessment of metabolic dysfunction associated with fatty liver disease

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), previously called metabolic nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, is the most prevalent chronic liver disease worldwide. The multi-factorial nature of MAFLD severity is delineated through an intricate composite analysis of the grade of activity in concert with the stage of fibrosis. Despite the preeminence of liver biopsy as the diagnostic and staging reference standard, its invasive nature, pronounced interobserver variability, and potential for deleterious effects (encompassing pain, infection, and even fatality) underscore the need for viable alternatives. We reviewed computed tomography (CT)-based methods for hepatic steatosis quantification (liver-to-spleen ratio; single-energy "quantitative" CT; dual-energy CT; deep learning-based methods; photon-counting CT) and hepatic fibrosis staging (morphology-based CT methods; contrast-enhanced CT biomarkers; dedicated postprocessing methods including liver surface nodularity, liver segmental volume ratio, texture analysis, deep learning methods, and radiomics). For dual-energy and photon-counting CT, the role of virtual non-contrast images and material decomposition is illustrated. For contrast-enhanced CT, normalized iodine concentration and extracellular volume fraction are explained. The applicability and salience of these approaches for clinical diagnosis and quantification of MAFLD are discussed.Relevance statementCT offers a variety of methods for the assessment of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease by quantifying steatosis and staging fibrosis.Key points• MAFLD is the most prevalent chronic liver disease worldwide and is rapidly increasing.• Both hardware and software CT advances with high potential for MAFLD assessment have been observed in the last two decades.• Effective estimate of liver steatosis and staging of liver fibrosis can be possible through CT.

Advances in the understanding and management of alcohol-related liver disease

Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality. Epidemiological trends indicate recent and predicted increases in the burden of disease. Disease progression is driven by continued alcohol exposure on a background of genetic predisposition together with environmental cofactors. Most individuals present with advanced disease despite a long history of excessive alcohol consumption and multiple missed opportunities to intervene. Increasing evidence supports the use of non-invasive tests to screen for and identify disease at earlier stages. There is a definite role for public health measures to reduce the overall burden of disease. At an individual level, however, the ability to influence subsequent disease course by modifying alcohol consumption or the underlying pathogenic mechanisms remains limited due to a comparative lack of effective, disease-modifying medical interventions. Abstinence from alcohol is the key determinant of outcome in established ALD and the cornerstone of clinical management. In those with decompensated ALD, liver transplant has a clear role. There is consensus that abstinence from alcohol for an arbitrary period should not be the sole determinant in a decision to transplant. An increasing understanding of the mechanisms by which alcohol causes liver disease in susceptible individuals offers the prospect of new therapeutic targets for disease-modifying drugs. Successful translation will require significant public and private investment in a disease area which has traditionally been underfunded when compared to its overall prevalence.

Triglyceride glucose-waist circumference: the optimum index to screen nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in non-obese adults

BACKGROUND

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is easily neglected in the non-obese population. TyG index (triglyceride glucose Index) and TG/HDL-c (triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) are new indicators to evaluate insulin resistance (IR). Fibroscan is a non-invasive way to assess hepatic steatosis [by control attenuation parameters (CAP)] and fibrosis [by liver stiffness measurement (LSM)].The purpose of this study was to explore the correlation of TyG and its combination with obesity indicators [TyG-waist circumference (WC), TyG-body mass index (BMI)] and TG/HDL-c with CAP and LSM.

METHOD

One thousand seven hundred seventy-six adults (age ≥ 20 years, BMI < 30 kg/m2) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018 were included. The correlations of CAP and LSM to the indexes were assessed by generalized linear models.. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to evaluate the diagnostic capability of the indicators on NAFLD and liver stiffness.

RESULTS

Survey-weighted percentage of NAFLD in non-obese was 38.6%. In the fully adjusted models, there were positive associations of TyG, TyG-BMI, TyG-WC and TG/HDL-c to CAP, with the βs of 24.810, 0.704, 0.29 and 2.983 (all p < 0.05), respectively. There were positive associations of TyG, TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, and TG/HDL-c to NAFLD, with ORs of 3.387, 1.03, 1.010 and 1.281 ((all p < 0.05)).The positive association was detected for TG/HDL-c and TyG-WC and LSM with βs of 0.057 and 0.004(p = 0.021 and p = 0.003).TyG-WC were positively associated with liver stiffness with OR of 1.006(95%CI = 1.002, 1.012). Furthermore, the TyG-WC had the strongest diagnostic capability (ROC = 0.806; 95%CI: 0.785-0.826) on NAFLD in non-obese participants, with a specificity of 0.737 and sensitivity of 0.746.

CONCLUSION

In US non-obese population, the TyG, TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, and TG/HDL-c are positively correlated with CAP and NAFLD. TyG-WC has clinical importance in identifying NAFLD in the non-obese population.

Performance of an automated deep learning algorithm to identify hepatic steatosis within noncontrast computed tomography scans among people with and without HIV

PURPOSE

Hepatic steatosis (fatty liver disease) affects 25% of the world's population, particularly people with HIV (PWH). Pharmacoepidemiologic studies to identify medications associated with steatosis have not been conducted because methods to evaluate liver fat within digitized images have not been developed. We determined the accuracy of a deep learning algorithm (automatic liver attenuation region-of-interest-based measurement [ALARM]) to identify steatosis within clinically obtained noncontrast abdominal CT images compared to manual radiologist review and evaluated its performance by HIV status.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study to evaluate the performance of ALARM within noncontrast abdominal CT images from a sample of patients with and without HIV in the US Veterans Health Administration. We evaluated the ability of ALARM to identify moderate-to-severe hepatic steatosis, defined by mean absolute liver attenuation <40 Hounsfield units (HU), compared to manual radiologist assessment.

RESULTS

Among 120 patients (51 PWH) who underwent noncontrast abdominal CT, moderate-to-severe hepatic steatosis was identified in 15 (12.5%) persons via ALARM and 12 (10%) by radiologist assessment. Percent agreement between ALARM and radiologist assessment of absolute liver attenuation <40 HU was 95.8%. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of ALARM were 91.7% (95%CI, 51.5%-99.8%), 96.3% (95%CI, 90.8%-99.0%), 73.3% (95%CI, 44.9%-92.2%), and 99.0% (95%CI, 94.8%-100%), respectively. No differences in performance were observed by HIV status.

CONCLUSIONS

ALARM demonstrated excellent accuracy for moderate-to-severe hepatic steatosis regardless of HIV status. Application of ALARM to radiographic repositories could facilitate real-world studies to evaluate medications associated with steatosis and assess differences by HIV status.

Relationship between Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Visceral Fat Measured by Imaging-Based Body Composition Analysis: A Systematic Review

Imaging-based body composition analysis can quantify visceral fat, which is an important feature of lean non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. This review assesses current evidence of the relationship between NAFLD, particularly hepatic steatosis, and visceral fat that is measured using imaging-based body composition analysis. PubMed Central and ScienceDirect were searched for studies that provided quantification of the relationship between NAFLD, hepatic steatosis and visceral fat. Twenty studies comprising 15,763 subjects were included, consisting of the relationship with NAFLD (n = 15) and the relationship with hepatic steatosis (n = 7). All studies reported a positive relationship between NAFLD and visceral fat. For hepatic steatosis regardless of severity, only one study reported no correlation with visceral fat. Further results showed that visceral fat is more related to NAFLD and hepatic steatosis in females than males. More studies including NAFLD of different stages must be performed in the future to validate the degree of association between visceral fat and NAFLD at all stages as well as this relationship difference between genders.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease with Renal Insufficiency in Overweight/Obese Adults

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) with renal insufficiency in recent years and the association between MAFLD and renal insufficiency are not entirely clear, especially in overweight/obesity. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence and risk factors of MAFLD with renal insufficiency in overweight/obese adults.

METHODS

Individuals who attended checkup at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from 2016 to 2021 were included. The prevalence of MAFLD with renal insufficiency (estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤90 mL/min/1.73 m2) in overweight/obesity was estimated. Propensity score-matched analysis, univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the risk factors for MAFLD with renal insufficiency.

RESULTS

From 2016 to 2021, the prevalence of MAFLD in overweight/obesity reached its highest of 44.7% in 2017 and its lowest of 36.9% in 2018; and 33.9% in 2021 and 21.8% in 2019 is the highest and lowest prevalence of MAFLD with renal insufficiency, respectively. MAFLD was more common in men, old individuals, and persons with a higher body mass index (BMI) and was characterized by significant renal insufficiency. MAFLD with renal insufficiency was more common in women, old individuals, and persons with a higher BMI and was characterized by significant metabolic dysfunction and liver fibrosis. Multivariable analysis showed that BMI, uric acid, and fibrosis (evaluated with noninvasive liver fibrosis score [fibrosis-4]) were independent risk factors for MAFLD with renal insufficiency.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of MAFLD with renal insufficiency in overweight/obese adults is quite high in the last 5 years. BMI, uric acid, and fibrosis are independent risk factors for MAFLD with renal insufficiency.

Liver stiffness, hepatorenal index, and microRNA-130b as predictors for chronic kidney disease in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Background and aim

Currently, nonalcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) is the most predominant chronic liver disorder. NAFLD has been linked to hepatic and extrahepatic morbidities. We aimed to investigate the role of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI), hepatorenal index (HRI), and serum microRNA-130b as non-invasive predictors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in NAFLD patients.

Material and methods

In a case–control design, we included 40 NAFLD patients (20 NAFLD with CKD and 20 NAFLD without CKD) and 20 healthy controls. After clinical evaluation, laboratory assessments including liver test profile, renal function test, and quantification of microRNA-130b were done. Liver steatosis and stiffness were evaluated using HRI and ARFI.

Results

HRI and ARFI readings were significantly higher among NAFLD with CKD patients compared to other groups (P < 0.001). The median values of microRNA-130b were 32.1, 27.01, and 25.36 copies/µl in NAFLD with CKD, NAFLD without CKD, and healthy controls, respectively, with significant differences between groups (P < 0.05). ARFI values and HRI were positively correlated with microRNA-130b (P < 0.05). At a cutoff value > 28.13 copies/µl, microRNA-130b could differentiate between “NAFLD with CKD” and “NAFLD without CKD” patients with a sensitivity and specificity of 75% and 70%, respectively (AUC = 71.9%, P = 0.018).

Conclusions

Serum microRNA-130b, HRI, and ARFI are valuable noninvasive markers for the assessment of NAFLD. MicroRNA-130b is suggested as a sensitive biomarker for the prediction of CKD among NAFLD patients with good sensitivity and specificity.

Which obesity index is the most useful marker for predicting hepatic steatosis in children and adolescents with obesity? A cross-sectional study using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging

INTRODUCTION

We aimed to evaluate the relationships between hepatic steatosis and various indices of obesity, and to identify the most useful index for the prediction of hepatic steatosis in children and adolescents with obesity.

METHODS

A total of 226 children and adolescents with a mean body mass index (BMI) z-score of 2.65 and a mean age of 11.4 years were subjected to anthropometric and body composition measurements, laboratory testing, abdominal fat mass assessment, and hepatic fat accumulation by magnetic resonance imaging-derived proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF). The participants were divided into quartiles according to the severity of their hepatic steatosis, and the presence of hepatic steatosis was defined using an MRI-PDFF ≥ 5%.

RESULTS

The multivariate ordinal regression analysis showed that the severity of hepatic steatosis was positively associated with BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio, fat mass, fat-free mass, visceral adiposity, and abdominal subcutaneous adiposity. Higher activities of liver enzymes and higher concentrations of triglyceride, C-reactive protein, fasting insulin, and leptin were associated with more severe hepatic steatosis, whereas high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and adiponectin were negatively associated with hepatic steatosis. The indices of obesity with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) > 0.8 for the prediction of hepatic steatosis were liver enzymes, visceral adipose tissue area, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio.

CONCLUSION

The severity of hepatic steatosis significantly correlated with various indices of obesity and cardiometabolic markers in children and adolescents with obesity. The indices of abdominal obesity would be the most useful for the prediction of hepatic steatosis.

A greater ratio of thigh subcutaneous fat to abdominal fat is associated with protection against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Background & Aims

No prospective studies have examined the association between thigh subcutaneous fat distribution and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We investigated the associations of thigh subcutaneous fat distribution with incidence and remission of NAFLD in a community-based prospective cohort.

Methods

We followed 1,787 subjects, who underwent abdominal ultrasonography, abdominal and femoral magnetic resonance imaging scans, and anthropometric assessments. Associations of thigh subcutaneous fat area/abdominal fat area ratio and thigh circumference/waist circumference ratio with incidence and remission of NAFLD were estimated using the modified Poisson regression model.

Results

Over a mean 3.6-year follow-up, 239 incident cases of NAFLD and 207 regressed cases of NAFLD were identified. Increasing thigh subcutaneous fat area/abdominal fat area ratio was associated with a lower risk of incident NAFLD and a higher likelihood of remission of NAFLD [risk ratio (RR) per SD: 0.69, 95% CI 0.59-0.81; 1.20, 95% CI 1.07-1.34, respectively). Each one SD increase in thigh circumference/waist circumference ratio was associated with a 16% lower risk of incident NAFLD (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.76-0.94) and a 22% higher likelihood of remission of NAFLD (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.11-1.34). Additionally, the effects of thigh subcutaneous fat area/abdominal fat area ratio on the incidence and remission of NAFLD were mediated through adiponectin (14.9% and 26.6%), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (9.5% and 23.9%), and triglyceride (7.5% and 19.1%).

Conclusions

These results demonstrated that a favourable fat distribution, characterised by a greater ratio of thigh subcutaneous fat to abdominal fat, had a protective role against NAFLD.

Impact and implications

The associations of thigh subcutaneous fat distribution with NAFLD incidence and remission have not been prospectively examined in a community-based cohort. Our findings suggest that greater thigh subcutaneous fat relative to a given amount of abdominal fat has a protective effect against NAFLD among the middle-aged and older Chinese populations.

US Attenuation Imaging for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Fatty Liver Disease

Purpose

This study aimed to determine whether the attenuation coefficient (AC) from attenuation imaging (ATI) was correlated with visual US assessment in patients with hepatic steatosis. Moreover, it aimed to assess whether the patient's blood chemistry results and CT attenuation were correlated with AC.

Materials and Methods

Patients who underwent abdominal US with ATI between April 2018 and December 2018 were included in this study. Patients with chronic liver disease or cirrhosis were excluded. The correlation between AC and other parameters, such as visual US assessment, blood chemistry results, liver attenuation, and liver-to-spleen (L/S) ratio, were analyzed. AC values according to visual US assessment grades were compared using analysis of variance.

Results

A total of 161 patients were included in this study. The correlation coefficient between US assessment and AC was 0.814 (p < 0.001). The mean AC values for the normal, mild, moderate, and severe grades were 0.56, 0.66, 0.74, and 0.85, respectively (p < 0.001). Alanine aminotransferase levels were significantly correlated with AC (r = 0.317, p < 0.001). The correlation coefficients between liver attenuation and AC and between L/S ratio and AC were -0.702 and -0.626, respectively (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Visual US assessment and AC showed a strong positive correlation with the discriminative value between the groups. Computed tomography attenuation and AC showed a strong negative correlation.

The association between metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and chronic kidney disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The term metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has been established to better define patients with fatty liver disease who also present with metabolic dysfunction. However, the association between MAFLD and chronic-kidney disease (CKD) remains elusive.

METHODS

. We conducted systematic literature searching across multiple databases-PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, and Google Scholar up until June 9th, 2022. The main exposure was the diagnosis of MAFLD and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) regardless of the diagnostic modalities being used. The outcome of interest was the prevalence or the incidence of CKD.

RESULTS

There were 355,886 subjects from 11 included studies with the period of follow up of 4.6-6.5 years. Meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies showed that MAFLD was associated with a higher prevalent CKD (OR 1.50, 95%CI [1.02-2.23]; test for overall effect Z = 2.04, p = 0.04; I² = 97.7%, p < 0.001) and incident CKD (adjusted HR 1.35, 95%CI [1.18-1.52]; test for overall effect Z = 15.47, p < 0.001; I² = 84.6%, p < 0.001) and did not vary between age, sex, comorbidities, study region, and follow-up duration. No difference in CKD prevalence was found between MAFLD and NAFLD patients. Significant liver fibrosis, but not steatosis in was associated with greater odds of developing CKD. More severe MAFLD was also associated with higher odds of developing CKD.

CONCLUSION

This present meta-analysis using a large population indicates a significant association between MAFLD and the prevalence and incidence of CKD.

Serum Cardiotrophin-1 Concentration Is Negatively Associated with Controlled Attenuation Parameters in Subjects with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background: Since non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is highly associated with obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, biomarkers for the diagnosis of NAFLD have become an important issue. Although cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) has a protective effect on the liver in NAFLD animal models, the serum levels of CT-1 in human subjects with NAFLD were still unknown. Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the circulating concentration of CT-1 and the severity of hepatic steatosis graded by the value of the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) in humans. Design and Methods: The study was designed as a cross-sectional study, and a total of 182 subjects were enrolled. Hepatic steatosis measurement was carried out with a Firoscan® device and recorded by CAP. The enrolled study subjects were categorized into CAP < 238 dB/m, 238 ≤ CAP ≤ 259 dB/m, 260 ≤ CAP ≤ 290 dB/m, and CAP > 290 dB/m. Serum CT-1 concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The association between the serum CT-1 concentration and NAFLD was examined by multivariate linear regression analysis. Results: Body mass index, percentage of body fat, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), cholesterol, triglyceride, hemoglobin A1c and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were significantly increased in groups with higher CAP value, whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly decreased. In addition, serum CT-1 concentrations were significantly decreased in subjects with higher CAP values. In multivariate linear regression models, including age, sex, body fat percentage, CAP, high sensitivity- C reactive protein, uric acid, creatinine, ALT, total cholesterol, and HOMA-IR, only age, CAP and uric acid independently associated with CT-1 levels. Moreover, having NAFLD was independently associated with CT-1 after adjustment for sex, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Conclusions: Serum CT-1 concentrations are decreased in subjects with NAFLD and negatively associated with CAP.

Comparison of the prognostic value of a comprehensive set of predictors in identifying risk of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease among employed adults

Objective

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is of concern in employed adults, while the crucial indicators in predicting MAFLD are understudied in this population. We aimed to investigate and compare the prediction performance of a set of indicators for MAFLD in employed adults.

Methods

A cross-sectional study recruiting 7968 employed adults was conducted in southwest China. MAFLD was assessed by abdominal ultrasonography and physical examination. Comprehensive indicators of demographics, anthropometric, lifestyle, psychological, and biochemical indicators were collected by questionnaire or physical examination. All indicators were evaluated for importance in predicting MAFLD by random forest. A prognostic model based on multivariate regression model was constructed to obtain a prognostic index. All indicators and prognostic index were compared to evaluate their prediction performance in predicting MAFLD by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration plot, and Decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

Triglyceride Glucose-Body Mass Index (TyG-BMI), BMI, TyG, triglyceride (TG)/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and TG ranked the top five important indicators, and TyG-BMI performed the most accurate prediction of MAFLD according to the ROC curve, calibration plot and DCA. The area under the ROC curves (AUCs) of the five indicators were all over 0.7, with TyG-BMI (cut-off value: 218.284, sensitivity: 81.7%, specificity: 78.3%) suggesting the most sensitive and specific indicator. All five indicators showed higher prediction performance and net benefit than the prognostic model.

Conclusion

This epidemiological study firstly compared a set of indicators to evaluate their prediction performance in predicting MAFLD risk among employed adults. Intervention targeting powerful predictors can be helpful to reduce the MAFLD risk among employed adults.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-023-15365-9.

Fluid Mechanics Approach to Perfusion Quantification: Vasculature Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation, Quantitative Transport Mapping (QTM) Analysis of Dynamics Contrast Enhanced MRI, and Application in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Classification

OBJECTIVE

We quantify liver perfusion using quantitative transport mapping (QTM) method that is free of arterial input function (AIF). QTM method is validated in a vasculature computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation and is applied for processing dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI images in differentiating liver with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) from healthy controls using pathology reference in a preclinical rabbit model.

METHODS

QTM method was validated on a liver perfusion simulation based on fluid dynamics using a rat liver vasculature model and the mass transport equation. In the NAFLD grading task, DCE MRI images of 7 adult rabbits with methionine choline-deficient diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), 8 adult rabbits with simple steatosis (SS) were acquired and processed using QTM method and dual-input two compartment Kety's method respectively. Statistical analysis was performed on six perfusion parameters: velocity magnitude | u | derived from QTM, liver arterial blood flow LBFa, liver venous blood flow LBFv, permeability Ktrans, blood volume Vp and extravascular space volume Ve averaged in liver ROI.

RESULTS

In the simulation, QTM method successfully reconstructed blood flow, reduced error by 48% compared to Kety's method. In the preclinical study, only QTM |u| showed significant difference between high grade NAFLD group and low grade NAFLD group.

CONCLUSION

QTM postprocesses DCE-MRI automatically through deconvolution in space and time to solve the inverse problem of the transport equation. Comparing with Kety's method, QTM method showed higher accuracy and better differentiation in NAFLD classification task.

SIGNIFICANCE

We propose to apply QTM method in liver DCE MRI perfusion quantification.

Imaging Methods Applicable in the Diagnostics of Alzheimer's Disease, Considering the Involvement of Insulin Resistance

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease and the most frequently diagnosed type of dementia, characterized by (1) perturbed cerebral perfusion, vasculature, and cortical metabolism; (2) induced proinflammatory processes; and (3) the aggregation of amyloid beta and hyperphosphorylated Tau proteins. Subclinical AD changes are commonly detectable by using radiological and nuclear neuroimaging methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Furthermore, other valuable modalities exist (in particular, structural volumetric, diffusion, perfusion, functional, and metabolic magnetic resonance methods) that can advance the diagnostic algorithm of AD and our understanding of its pathogenesis. Recently, new insights into AD pathoetiology revealed that deranged insulin homeostasis in the brain may play a role in the onset and progression of the disease. AD-related brain insulin resistance is closely linked to systemic insulin homeostasis disorders caused by pancreas and/or liver dysfunction. Indeed, in recent studies, linkages between the development and onset of AD and the liver and/or pancreas have been established. Aside from standard radiological and nuclear neuroimaging methods and clinically fewer common methods of magnetic resonance, this article also discusses the use of new suggestive non-neuronal imaging modalities to assess AD-associated structural changes in the liver and pancreas. Studying these changes might be of great clinical importance because of their possible involvement in AD pathogenesis during the prodromal phase of the disease.

Diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance elastography and point-shear wave elastography for significant hepatic fibrosis screening: Systematic review and meta-analysis

The hepatic diseases are extremely common in clinical practice. The correct classification of liver fibrosis is extremely important, as it influences therapy and predicts disease outcomes. The purpose of this study is to compare the diagnostic performance of point-shear wave elastography (pSWE) and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) in the hepatic fibrosis diagnostic. A meta-analysis was carried out based on articles published until October 2020. The articles are available at following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scientific Electronic Library Online, LILACS, Scopus, and CINAHL. Diagnostic performances were analyzed per METAVIR F2, using 3.5kPa as target fibrosis. Assessment of the methodological quality of the incorporated papers by the QUADAS-2 tool for pSWE and MRE. A total 2,153 studies articles were evaluated and 44 studies, comprising 6,081 patients with individual data, were included in the meta-analysis: 28 studies for pSWE and 16 studies for MRE. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.86 (95%CI 0.80-0.90) and 0.88 (95%CI 0.85-0.91), respectively, for pSWE, compared with 0.94 (95%CI 0.89-0.97) and 0.95 (95%CI 0.89-0.98) respectively, for MRE. The pooled SROC curve for pSWE shows in the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.93 (95%CI 0.90-0.95), whereas the AUC for MRE was 0.98 (95%CI 0.96-0.99). The diagnostic odds ratio for pSWE and MRE were 41 (95%CI 24-72) and 293 (95%CI 86-1000), respectively. There was statistically significant heterogeneity for pSWE sensitivity (I² = 85.26, P<0.001) and specificity (I² = 89.46, P<0.001). The heterogeneity for MRE also was significant for sensitivity (I² = 73.28, P<0.001) and specificity (I² = 87.24, P<0.001). Therefore, both pSWE and MRE are suitable modalities for assessing liver fibrosis. In addition, MRE is a more accurate imaging technique than pSWE and can be used as alternative to invasive biopsy.