title: Association of the Nonalcoholic Hepatic Steatosis and Its Degrees With the Values of Liver Enzymes and Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance Index.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is among the most common chronic diseases of the modern world with a wide variety of factors including genetic, environmental and metabolic. The aim of this study was to verify the association between the degrees of hepatic steatosis at the abdominal ultrasound and the values of aminotransferases (aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transferase (ALT)), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, descriptive survey study, using a quantitative analytical examination, was conducted from July 2013 to July 2014. In the statistical analysis, values were expressed as median, first and third quartiles. We used the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test to compare the medians between the degrees of steatosis, adopted a statistical significance of 5% (P ≤ 0.05) and used the statistical program SPSS 22.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We diagnosed 233/800 (29.1%) patients with hepatic steatosis on routine ultrasound, and 65.7% were female. Regarding degrees, 119 had grade 1 (51.0%), 94 grade 2 (40.4%) and 20 grade 3 (8.6%). The median age of the patients with grade 1, 2 or 3 did not vary significantly (P > 0.05). The median body mass index (BMI), although clinically important because of its elevation, did not differ significantly (P > 0.05). ALT levels increased as the degree of hepatic steatosis has advanced as well as the levels of AST, GGT and HOMA-IR. AST values showed a greater association with the severity of fatty liver (P = 0.0001) than the ALT (P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ALT, AST, GGT and HOMA-IR are associated to the degrees of hepatic steatosis on ultrasound and can help in the selection of patients for the liver histological evaluation.
authors: Department of Medicine, Tiradentes University, Aracaju 49032-490, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors: Mario Augusto Ferreira
authors: MA
authors: Cruz
authors: Department of Medicine, Tiradentes University, Aracaju 49032-490, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors: Josilda Ferreira
authors: JF
authors: Cruz
authors: Department of Medicine, Tiradentes University, Aracaju 49032-490, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors: Larissa Baracho
authors: LB
authors: Macena
authors: Sergipe Federal University, Sao Cristovao 49100-000, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors: Demetrius Silva
authors: DS
authors: de Santana
authors: Department of Medicine, Tiradentes University, Aracaju 49032-490, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors: Cristiane Costa da Cunha
authors: CC
authors: Oliveira
authors: Department of Medicine, Tiradentes University, Aracaju 49032-490, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors: Sonia Oliveira
authors: SO
authors: Lima
authors: Department of Medicine, Tiradentes University, Aracaju 49032-490, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors: Alex Vianey Callado
authors: AV
authors: Franca
keywords: Fatty liver; Insulin resistance; Liver enzymes; Ultrasonography