title: Non-alcoholic fatty liver syndrome: a hepatic consequence of common metabolic diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The association of liver steatosis with a number of common metabolic conditions has been suggested. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical features of subjects with different severities of steatosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study was performed in 282 consecutive patients with 'bright liver' at ultrasonography and in 58 subjects without steatosis. They had no history of alcohol abuse and negative tests for the presence of hepatitis B and C virus. Patients underwent clinical examination, anthropometry, laboratory tests and routine liver ultrasonography. Steatosis was graded as absent, mild, moderate and severe.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A progressive increase in the prevalence of obesity (P < 0.001), type 2 diabetes (P < 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation (P < 0.001) and hypertriglyceridemia (P < 0.001), and a decrease of hypercholesterolemia (P < 0.05) was observed from the control group to the groups with mild, moderate and severe steatosis. More than half the subjects with liver steatosis had insulin resistance metabolic syndrome. Obesity, diabetes and hypertriglyceridemia were more common by 5.3-fold, 4.0-fold, and 6.7-fold, respectively, in subjects with severe steatosis, as compared to controls. Prevalence of obesity, diabetes and hyperlipidemia was significantly higher in subjects with fatty liver and ALT elevation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fatty liver can be considered as the hepatic consequence of common metabolic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinics and Applied Medical Therapy, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. francesco.angelico@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Angelico
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Ben
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Francioso
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Feole
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maccioni
authors.forename: Teresa Maria
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Antonini
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alessandri
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000150:complications; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D000410:Alanine Transaminase