title: Relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and inflammation in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-alcoholic fatty liver is the most chronic liver disease that eventually can become cirrhosis. One of the underlying assumptions for the fatty liver created by inflammation of the hepatocytes. We aimed to assess the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and sub-clinical inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional study which was conducted on 55 patients over 30 years, with NAFLD. Fatty liver grade was assessed using liver ultrasound. Liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase), anthropometric characteristics and inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured. Qualitative variables (sex and fatty liver grade) and quantitative variables such as were compared with independent t-test and Chi-square test. Relationship between fatty liver grade and inflammatory index was assessed with SPSS software (version 20; SPSS, Inc. Chicago, IL, USA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Non-alcoholic fatty liver grades were associated with CRP level and this relationship remains in statistically significant level even after adjusting the effects of confounding variables such as age, sex and body mass index of participants (P = 0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this cross-sectional study, presentation of NAFLD showed a significant correlation with sub-clinical systemic inflammation and CRP level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Nutrition, Metabolic Liver Diseases Research Center, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foroughi
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Nutrition, Metabolic Liver Diseases Research Center, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Maghsoudi
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Nutrition, Metabolic Liver Diseases Research Center, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Saeid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khayyatzadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Nutrition, Metabolic Liver Diseases Research Center, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Department of Food Security Research Center and Community Nutrition, Isfahan Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghiasvand
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Nutrition, Metabolic Liver Diseases Research Center, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Department of Food Security Research Center and Community Nutrition, Isfahan Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Askari
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition, Isfahan Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Bijan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Iraj
keywords: C-reactive protein; inflammation; non-alcoholic fatty liver