title: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and its association with obesity, insulin resistance and increased serum levels of C-reactive protein in Hispanics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a metabolic disorder of the liver, which may progress to fibrosis or cirrhosis. Recent studies have shown a significant impact of ethnicity on susceptibility to steatosis-related liver disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of NAFLD among Chilean Hispanics as well as the clinical and biochemical variables associated with the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based study among Chilean Hispanics. The diagnosis of NAFLD was made on the basis of ultrasound evidence of fatty liver and absence of significant alcohol consumption and hepatitis C virus infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 832 Hispanic subjects were included. Ultrasound findings revealed diffuse fatty liver in 23% of the subjects. Variables associated with fatty liver in multivariate analysis were body mass index >26.9 [odds ratio (OR) 6.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.3-11.5], abnormal aspartate aminotransferase levels (OR 14; 95% CI 8.2-23.7), presence of insulin resistance as measured by homoeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (OR 3; 95% CI 1.8-4.8) and serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) greater than 0.86 mg/L (OR 2.9; 95% CI 1.6-5.2). Among subjects with NAFLD, levels of hs-CRP were similar regardless of the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chilean Hispanics exhibit a high prevalence of NAFLD. Obesity, insulin resistance, abnormal aminotransferase levels and elevated hs-CRP were independently associated with the presence of NAFLD. ALT elevation underestimates the presence of ultrasonographical fatty liver, whereas hs-CRP is a sensitive independent marker of NAFLD, which may be useful for detecting fatty liver in the general population.
authors.affiliation: Departamentos de Gastroenterología, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. arnoldoriquelme@gmail.com
authors.forename: Arnoldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riquelme
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arrese
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soza
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baudrand
authors.forename: Rosa María
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pérez-Ayuso
authors.forename: Robinson
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: García-Zattera
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Otarola
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.forename: Attilio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rigotti
authors.forename: Juan Francisco
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Miquel
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nervi
mesh_terms: D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D015995:Prevalence; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein