title: Influence of ethnicity on histological differences in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies examining ethnic differences in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are limited by small sample sizes and the lack of liver biopsy as a diagnostic modality.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively examined the influence of ethnicity on the biochemical and liver histological differences in NAFLD patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of African Americans (AA) in the NAFLD sample (total 238 patients; 15.1% AA) was lower than in the base population (68.2%). Median ALT (47 IU/L; p=0.05) and triglyceride (134mg/dL, p=0.002) levels were lower in AA than other ethnicities. AA showed lower degrees of steatosis [odds ratio (OR) 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22-0.89; p=0.02] than Whites. In contrast, Asians showed higher grades of ballooning than Whites (OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.03-6.93; p=0.04) and other ethnicities combined (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.06-6.92; p=0.04). Hispanics showed a higher rate of Mallory bodies than Whites (OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.05-5.39; p=0.04) and other ethnicities combined (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.09-5.34; p=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  African Americans showed a lower degree of steatosis than Whites. In contrast, Asians and Hispanics showed higher grades of ballooning and Mallory bodies, respectively, than Whites and other ethnicities combined. These findings highlight the need for prospective studies to evaluate ethnic differences in NAFLD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Center for Liver Diseases, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC 7120, Chicago, IL 60637-1463, USA. smohanty@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
authors.forename: Smruti R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Mohanty
authors.forename: Tara N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Troy
authors.forename: Dezheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.forename: Bridget L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Donald M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D044383:Black People / Q000235:genetics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000235:genetics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001741:Black or African American
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase