title: Vascular Damage in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Possible Role of Iron and Ferritin.
abstract: Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in Western countries. Recent data indicated that NAFLD is a risk factor by itself contributing to the development of cardiovascular disease independently of classical known risk factors. Hyperferritinemia and mild increased iron stores are frequently observed in patients with NAFLD and several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the role of iron, through oxidative stress and interaction with insulin metabolism, in the development of vascular damage. Moreover, iron depletion has been shown to decrease atherogenesis in experimental models and in humans. This review presents the recent evidence on epidemiology, pathogenesis, and the possible explanation of the role of iron and ferritin in the development of cardiovascular damage in patients with NAFLD, and discusses the possible interplay between metabolic disorders associated with NAFLD and iron in the development of cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Ca' Granda IRCCS Foundation, Policlinico Hospital, University of Milan, Centre of the Study of Metabolic and Liver Diseases, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy. pinaz81@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pisano
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Ca' Granda IRCCS Foundation, Policlinico Hospital, University of Milan, Centre of the Study of Metabolic and Liver Diseases, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy. rosalombardi@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Ca' Granda IRCCS Foundation, Policlinico Hospital, University of Milan, Centre of the Study of Metabolic and Liver Diseases, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy. anna.fracanzani@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Anna Ludovica
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Fracanzani
mesh_terms: D005293:Ferritins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron
keywords: NAFLD; cardiovascular disease; ferritin; iron; metabolic syndrome