title: Clinical characteristics of patients with cryptogenic liver cirrhosis in Okinawa, Japan.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan. b987607@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakugawa
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakasone
authors.forename: Tomofumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakayoshi
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashiro
authors.forename: Tatsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maeshiro
authors.forename: Kasen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobashigawa
authors.forename: Fukunori
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kinjo
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: 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*