title: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: Together with that of obesity, the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is increasing. NAFLD is associated with insulin resistance and participate to the metabolic syndrome. A proportion of NAFLD patient will present a progressive disease characterized by, in addition to steatosis, hepatocellualr damage, chronic inflammation and progressive fibrosis and termed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NAHS is recognized as the hepatic complication of the metabolic syndrome. Its severity is related to fibrosis progression. Pathophysiological mechanisms underlying NASH remain ill-defined, the tools to identify NAFLD patients at risk for NASH progression and validate therapy are lacking. In this review, we concentrate on 2 aspects of NAFLD/NASH pathogenesis: the mechanisms of hepatic insulin resistance and the determinants of fibrosis in the context of metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de gastro-entérologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique-U.C.L., Bruxelles.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Leclercq
mesh_terms: D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000378:metabolism; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000209:etiology; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D000637:Transaminases / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D014280:Triglycerides; D000637:Transaminases