Clinical characteristics of patients with cryptogenic liver cirrhosis in Okinawa, Japan.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of the present study were to determine the prevalence of patients with cryptogenic liver cirrhosis, and to clarify the clinical characteristics of these patients, with special focus on obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.


METHODS
For the case-control study, we selected age- and sex-matched control patients with cirrhosis of known etiology.


RESULTS
Of 404 patients with liver cirrhosis, 40 (9.9%) were diagnosed as having cryptogenic cirrhosis. Of these 40 patients, 29 (73%) were female. The mean age was 66.1 +/- 8.9 (range 40-87 years old), and was significantly higher than that of either virus, or alcohol-related liver cirrhosis patients. Both obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus were more common in patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis (53% and 40%, respectively) compared with the case-controls (20%, 18%, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Cryptogenic liver cirrhosis accounted for approximately 10% of liver cirrhosis, and was associated with both obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis sequelae may be the most important etiological factor in patients with cryptogenic liver cirrhosis in Okinawa, Japan, where virus-etiology is more predominant in liver cirrhosis compared with Western countries.
Sakugawa
Hiroshi
H
First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan. b987607@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
Nakasone
Hiroki
H
Nakayoshi
Tomofumi
T
Kawakami
Yuko
Y
Yamashiro
Tsuyoshi
T
Maeshiro
Tatsuji
T
Kobashigawa
Kasen
K
Kinjo
Fukunori
F
Saito
Atsushi
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*