Differences among patients with and without nonalcoholic fatty liver disease having elevated alanine aminotransferase levels at various stages of metabolic syndrome.

• Main Authors: Masahiro Sogabe, Toshiya Okahisa, Takeshi Kurihara, Masanori Takehara, Kaizo Kagemoto, Jun Okazaki, Yoshifumi Kida, Akihiro Hirao, Hironori Tanaka, Tetsu Tomonari, Tatsuya Taniguchi, Koichi Okamoto, Masahiko Nakasono, Tetsuji Takayama
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2020-01-01
• Series: PLoS ONE
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238388
• ISSN: 1932-6203

<h4>Background</h4>The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the non-obese population has increased and NAFLD is not always recognized in individuals with metabolic syndrome (MS). The risk of cirrhosis is higher in patients having NAFLD with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels than in those having NAFLD with normal ALT levels.<h4>Objective</h4>To measure the differences in clinical factors associated with NAFLD having elevation of ALT among subjects with Non-MS, Pre-MS, and MS, and to measure differences in metabolites between MS subjects with and without NAFLD having elevation of ALT.<h4>Methods</h4>Among 7,054 persons undergoing health check-ups, we included 3,025 subjects who met the selection criteria. We measured differences in clinical factors for NAFLD having elevation of ALT among subjects with Non-MS, Pre-MS, and MS, and compared metabolites between subjects with and without NAFLD having elevation of ALT in 32 subjects with MS.<h4>Results</h4>The prevalence of NAFLD and NAFLD having elevation of ALT was significantly progressively greater in subjects with Non-MS, Pre-MS, and MS (p <0.001, respectively). In the Non-MS group, there were significant differences between subjects with and without NAFLD having elevation of ALT with respect to body mass index (BMI), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c, uric acid, aspartate aminotransferase (AST); In the Pre-MS group, there were significant differences in BMI, hypertension, AST, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT); In the MS group, there were significant differences in HDL-C, impaired glucose tolerance, AST, and GGT. There were significant differences in levels of metabolites of nicotinamide, inosine, and acetyl-L-carnitine between MS subjects with and without NAFLD having elevation of ALT (all p <0.05).<h4>Conclusions</h4>Although NAFLD having elevation of ALT is important for development of NAFLD, differences in factors associated with NAFLD having elevation of ALT at various stages of MS should be considered. Additionally, several metabolites may play roles in the identification of risk for NAFLD in individuals with MS.