title: Coffee Intake and Liver Enzyme Association in Korean Immigrants and Japanese: A Comprehensive Cross-Sectional Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Significant inverse association between coffee intake and the levels of liver enzymes has been reported. We demonstrated higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Korean immigrants (KIs) than in indigenous Japanese (IJs). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the association between coffee intake and liver enzyme levels was different between the 2 ethnic groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a cross-sectional study including a total of 966 subjects comprising KIs and IJs. The association between the quintiles of coffee intake and dichotomous values of liver enzymes was evaluated by logistic regression analysis in KIs, IJs, a high-risk group (current smokers or alcohol drinkers ≥45 g/day), and a low-risk group (non-smokers and alcohol drinkers <45 g/day).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In KIs, a significant inverse association between coffee intake and serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels was observed. In the IJs, a significant inverse association between coffee intake and serum alanine aminotransferase levels was observed. In the high-risk group, a significant inverse association between coffee intake and serum AST and gamma-glutamyltransferase levels was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No difference was observed between KIs and IJs regarding the association between coffee and liver enzymes. Coffee might inhibit hepatic damage by alcohol drinking and smoking.
authors.forename: Soo Ki
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myung-Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Kayo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: Soo Ryang
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imoto
authors.forename: Ke Ih
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Miyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Hyun-Kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Yoshitake
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kudo
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood*; D003069:Coffee; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000208:ethnology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D003069:Coffee; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase