Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is related to nonalcoholic fatty pancreas disease.
OBJECTIVE
Obesity and insulin resistance cause fatty infiltration of many organs, including the pancreas (pancreatic steatosis [PS]) and the liver (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD]). In contrast to NAFLD, pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical relevance of PS remain unknown. This study aimed to identify a possible relation between PS and NAFLD.


METHODS
In this study including postmortem collected material of 80 patients, clinical and histological data were collected and revised. Patients with hepatic or pancreatic disease and alcohol abuse were excluded. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score was used for grading the histology of the liver, whereas pancreatic lipomatosis score assessed PS. Ordinal logistic regression was used to analyze correlations.


RESULTS
Interlobular and total pancreatic fat were both related to NAFLD activity score in patients without steatogenic medication (P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively). When corrected for body mass index, no relation could be found. Total pancreatic fat was a significant predictor for the presence of NAFLD (P = 0.02). Presence of intralobular pancreatic fat was related to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; however, total fat was not.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that NAFLD and PS are related. This relationship seems to be mediated by general obesity. Intralobular pancreatic fat is associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
van Geenen
Erwin-Jan M
EJ
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ejm.vangeenen@vumc.nl
Smits
Mark M
MM
Schreuder
Tim C M A
TC
van der Peet
Donald L
DL
Bloemena
Elisabeth
E
Mulder
Chris J J
CJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D005223:Fats / Q000378:metabolism; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008068:Lipomatosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D005223:Fats