title: Hyperuricemia Inversely Correlates with Disease Severity in Taiwanese Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Asians are more susceptible to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) as well as metabolic disorder than other ethnicities. We aimed to assess the interaction between metabolic factors and fibrosis in Taiwanese NASH patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 130 biopsy-proven Taiwanese NASH patients (94 males, age = 43.0 ± 13.0 years) were consecutively enrolled. Their demographic, metabolic profiles and histopathological manifestations were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four (18.5%) NASH patients were non-obese. Thirty-three (25.4%) patients had significant fibrosis (F2) or more: 22 (16.9%) patients were of F2, whilst 11 (8.5%) patients were of advanced fibrosis (F3-4). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome, diabetes and hypertension were 60.8%, 39.4%, and 61.5%, respectively. There was a significant inverse correlation between hyperuricemia and fibrosis stages, ranging from 48.4% of F0-1, 33.3% of F2, and 9.1% of F3-4, respectively (P = 0.01, linear trend). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a decreased serum albumin level (OR = 40.0, 95% CI = 4.5-300, P = 0.001) and normal uric acid level (OR = 5.6, 95% CI = 1.5-21.7, P = 0.01) were the significant factors associated with significant fibrosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hyperuricemia inversely predicts fibrosis stages. Females might carry a more disease severity than males in Taiwanese NASH patients.
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jee-Fu
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Lun
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Lung
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Yen
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Yen
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Meng-Hsuan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ching-I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Zu-Yau
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shinn-Chern
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Endocrine Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pi-Jung
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Endocrine Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shyi-Jang
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wan-Long
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chuang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033461:Hyperuricemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013624:Taiwan