title: Serum cholinesterase activity in the diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in type 2 diabetic patients.
abstract: The aim of the study was to compare the serum cholinesterase activities of a group of type 2 diabetic patients showing clinical evidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease to those of age and sex-matched type 2 diabetics who showed no evidence of liver disease, and healthy control subjects to determine, if serum cholinesterase can be used to diagnose nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in type 2 diabetic patients. Mean serum cholinesterase activity in diabetics with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was found to be statistically significantly lower than in diabetics without liver disease and in healthy subjects. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean values of serum cholinesterase activities of non-liver disease diabetics and healthy control subjects. It was found that serum cholinesterase activity of 1640IU/L or less differentiated type 2 diabetic subjects with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease from diabetic subjects who were free of liver disease with a diagnostic sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 75%. It is suggested that routine monitoring of serum cholinesterase activities from the time of diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus may reveal the earliest time for the change in serum cholinesterase activities in diabetics that signals the onset of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, Jos University Teaching Hospital, P.M.B. 2076, Jos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Ogunkeye
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Chuhwak
authors.forename: A A E
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Otokwula