title: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and correlation of serum alanin aminotransferase level with histopathologic findings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been recognized as the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. It occurs in patients who do not consume alcohol in large amounts. Alanine aminotranferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) are indicators of hepatocellular injury.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine correlation between histopathologic specifications of NAFLD in patients with little or no history of alcohol consumption and the serum level of ALT.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study carried out in two gastroenterology and hepatology clinics in Tehran, Iran, the medical records of those who had undergone liver biopsies between years 2005 and 2009 were reviewed. Clinical and laboratory information of biopsy-proven cases of NAFLD were obtained from 147 eligible medical records. The histopathologic, demographic, and laboratory data of the participants were also collected. Two groups of patients according to their serum ALT level (cut-point of 35 U/L) were defined. The quantitative pathologic grade of the biopsy specimens was determined based on Brunt scoring system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 147 NAFLD patients including 127 men (86.4%) and 20 women (13.6%) with a mean ± SD age of 41.4 ± 11.2 years. Considering serum ALT, the mean ± SD quantitative grade of hepatosteatosis was 1.50 ± 0.67 and 1.74 ± 0.73 (p=0.136); advanced fibrosis (consisted of grade III and cirrhosis) was found in 4.5% (1/22) and 5.6% (7/125) of patients (p=0.327).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that using the cut-off value of 35 U/L for serum ALT level, it has little contribution to predict NAFLD severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Somaye
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khosravi
authors.forename: Seyed Moayed
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Alavian
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zare
authors.forename: Nasser Ebrahimi
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Daryani
authors.forename: Seyed-Mohammad
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Fereshtehnejad
authors.forename: Narges Ebrahimi
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Daryani
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Keramati
authors.forename: Sina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abdollahzade
authors.forename: Sahar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taba Taba Vakili
references.citation: Am J Med. 1993 Oct;95(4):447-9
references.pmid: 8213881
references.citation: Hepatology. 1999 Dec;30(6):1356-62
references.pmid: 10573511
references.citation: Ann Intern Med. 2002 Jul 2;137(1):1-10
references.pmid: 12093239
references.citation: Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2004 Jul 1;20(1):45-9
references.pmid: 15225170
references.citation: Hepatology. 2005 Sep;42(3):650-6
references.pmid: 16037946
references.citation: Hepatology. 2004 Dec;40(6):1387-95
references.pmid: 15565570
references.citation: Gastroenterology. 1999 Jun;116(6):1413-9
references.pmid: 10348825
references.citation: Hepatology. 2005 Feb;41(2):380-2
references.pmid: 15660433
references.citation: Jpn J Med. 1988 May;27(2):142-9
references.pmid: 3047469
references.citation: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005 Mar;90(3):1578-82
references.pmid: 15598693
references.citation: J Hepatol. 2005 Sep;43(3):508-14
references.pmid: 16006003
references.citation: Hepatology. 2003 Apr;37(4):917-23
references.pmid: 12668987
references.citation: Gastroenterology. 2002 Jul;123(1):134-40
references.pmid: 12105842
references.citation: Hepatology. 2005 Jul;42(1):44-52
references.pmid: 15895401
references.citation: Clin Chem. 1978 Nov;24(11):1971-9
references.pmid: 213206
references.citation: Hepatology. 1999 Mar;29(3):664-9
references.pmid: 10051466
references.citation: J Hepatol. 2007 Aug;47(2):239-44
references.pmid: 17400323
references.citation: Ann Intern Med. 2008 Mar 4;148(5):348-52
references.pmid: 18316753
references.citation: Hepatology. 2008 Sep;48(3):792-8
references.pmid: 18752331
references.citation: Am J Gastroenterol. 1999 Sep;94(9):2467-74
references.pmid: 10484010
references.citation: Gastroenterology. 2003 Jan;124(1):71-9
references.pmid: 12512031
references.citation: Gastroenterology. 2005 Jul;129(1):113-21
references.pmid: 16012941
references.citation: Hepatology. 2003 Jun;37(6):1286-92
references.pmid: 12774006
references.citation: Hepatology. 2007 Apr;45(4):846-54
references.pmid: 17393509
references.citation: Hepatology. 2006 Apr;43(4):682-9
references.pmid: 16502396
references.citation: Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2009 Feb 15;29(4):387-96
references.pmid: 19035982
references.citation: Ann Hepatol. 2006 Jan-Mar;5(1):30-3
references.pmid: 16531962