title: Characteristics of patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis who develop hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) can progress to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to characterize the clinical features of NASH patients with HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional multicenter study in Japan, we examined 87 patients (median age, 72 years; 62% male) with histologically proven NASH who developed HCC. The clinical data were collected at the time HCC was diagnosed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Obesity (body mass index ≥25 kg/m(2)), diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension were present in 54 (62%), 51 (59%), 24 (28%), and 47 (55%) patients, respectively. In nontumor liver tissues, the degree of fibrosis was stage 1 in 10 patients (11%), stage 2 in 15 (17%), stage 3 in 18 (21%), and stage 4 (ie, liver cirrhosis) in 44 (51%). The prevalence of cirrhosis was significantly lower among male patients (21 of 54, 39%) compared with female patients (23 of 33, 70%) (P = .008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most patients with NASH who develop HCC are men; the patients have high rates of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Male patients appear to develop HCC at a less advanced stage of liver fibrosis than female patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Kohichiroh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Yasuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Komorizono
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arii
authors.forename: Yasuharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Toshihide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shima
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kanbara
authors.forename: Toshiji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saibara
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Sumio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawata
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uto
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takami
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sumida
authors.forename: Toshinari
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takamura
authors.forename: Miwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawanaka
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okanoue
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D007564:Japan; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution