Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Seul Ki Han, Soon Koo Baik, Moon Young Kim
Summary: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common liver disease worldwide, with a prevalence of approximately 30%. Its prevalence varies depending on comorbidities and is expected to increase due to the rising obesity rates. NAFLD is a major cause of chronic liver diseases, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This article provides a brief overview of NAFLD's definition and classification based on current knowledge.
CLINICAL AND MOLECULAR HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Tracey G. Simon, Bjorn Roelstraete, Naim Alkhouri, Hannes Hagstrom, Johan Sundstrom, Jonas F. Ludvigsson
Summary: This study found that children and young adults with biopsy-proven NAFLD had significantly higher rates of incident MACE, including ischaemic heart disease and congestive heart failure, compared to matched population controls.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Rafael Paternostro, Michael Trauner
Summary: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a liver disease with various pathologies. In addition to lifestyle changes and a few specific medications, there are new treatment options being studied. Treating complications of end-stage liver disease caused by non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is important for the treatment of the complete clinical spectrum of NAFLD.
JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Bader Alabdulaali, Fatema Al-rashed, Mohammed Al-Onaizi, Anwar Kandari, Joanna Razafiarison, Dorothy Tonui, Michayla R. Williams, Camille Bleriot, Rasheed Ahmad, Fawaz Alzaid
Summary: The liver is responsible for metabolizing and detoxifying blood, and consists of different cell types, including macrophages. These macrophages can be either resident Kupffer cells or differentiated from circulating monocytes. They play a role in maintaining liver homeostasis and can also contribute to disease progression. In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), abnormal function of these macrophages leads to the development of liver conditions. Targeting these macrophages has become a potential therapeutic strategy for NAFLD.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Sakura Yamamura, Dan Nakano, Ryuki Hashida, Tsubasa Tsutsumi, Takumi Kawaguchi, Michiaki Okada, Hiroshi Isoda, Hirokazu Takahashi, Hiroo Matsuse, Yuichiro Eguchi, Yoshio Sumida, Atsushi Nakajima, Lynn Gerber, Zobair M. Younossi, Takuji Torimura
Summary: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common liver disease worldwide and it is important to assess all associated outcomes including patient-reported outcomes (PROs). The Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ)-NAFLD/NASH is a specific instrument developed for this purpose and has shown excellent reliability and validity in international clinical trials.
JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Guanlin Li, Xinrong Zhang, Huapeng Lin, Lilian Yan Liang, Grace Lai-Hung Wong, Vincent Wai-Sun Wong
Summary: New developments in non-invasive assessment methods show potential in diagnosing and monitoring NAFLD. Magnetic resonance imaging and blood biomarkers can be used to detect hepatic steatosis and fibrosis, but further research is needed to confirm their role in treatment monitoring.
CHINESE MEDICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Ho Soo Chun, Minjong Lee, Jae Seung Lee, Hye Won Lee, Beom Kyung Kim, Jun Yong Park, Do Young Kim, Sang Hoon Ahn, Yong-Ho Lee, Ji-Hye Kim, Seung Up Kim
Summary: There is an association between metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) or NAFLD and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, with MAFLD potentially being a better identifier for CVD risk than NAFLD. Fibrosis assessment can provide helpful prognostic information for subjects with MAFLD.
LIVER INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Andrea Dalbeni, Marco Castelli, Mirko Zoncape, Pietro Minuz, David Sacerdoti
Summary: Non alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an inflammatory reaction of the liver caused by excessive accumulation of lipids in hepatocytes. It can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Fatty liver is a manifestation of metabolic syndrome, which is associated with subclinical inflammation. Platelets are involved in immune response and activation of stellate cells, and may play a key role in the development of NASH. Antiplatelet drugs have been shown to interrupt this process and improve NASH and metabolic alterations.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Yamei Duan, Xiongfeng Pan, Jiayou Luo, Xiang Xiao, Jingya Li, Prince L. Bestman, Miyang Luo
Summary: This study found a significant association between inflammatory cytokines and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Increased concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were significantly associated with increased risks of NAFLD.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Mette Yde Hochreuter, Morten Dall, Jonas T. Treebak, Romain Barres
Summary: This review summarizes the current knowledge on liver miRNA profiling studies in patients with different stages of NAFLD. It analyzes the mechanistic role of miRNA species such as miR-34a, miR-122, and miR-21 in NAFLD development and highlights novel NAFLD-related miRNAs. The review also discusses the role of exosomal microRNAs as intercellular or inter-organ messengers in NAFLD and explores the potential of circulating NAFLD-associated miRNAs as minimally invasive tools for diagnosis, staging, and prognosis, as well as their potential as NASH pharmacotherapeutic targets. Finally, the article discusses future research directions in the miRNA field.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jin Chen, Yanping Hao, Ping Xu, Dongxue Bian, Liang Han, Xudong Wu, Zhengjie Zhuang, Jianhua Wang, Yan Luo
Summary: This study aimed to clarify the role and mechanism of CerS5 in the development of NAFLD. The findings showed that hepatocyte specific knockout of CerS5 accelerated the progression of NAFLD related fibrosis, possibly due to the inhibition of bile acid synthesis alternative pathway.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hye Young Kim, Sang Bong Ahn, Jeong-Min Hong, Ju Hee Oh, Waqar Khalid Saeed, Gyu Sik Kim, Hyun Kim, Jong Koo Kang, Sukmo Kang, Dae Won Jun
Summary: BTT-105 exhibited anti-fibrotic effects in three NAFLD models, reducing lipid metabolites and increasing antioxidants in liver tissue, as well as inhibiting HSCs activation and migration. It also enhanced Nrf2 activation and decreased the PI3K-Akt pathway, ultimately ameliorating steatohepatitis and hepatic fibrosis.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Kiyoung Lim, Minkyu Kang, Junggil Park
Summary: The study investigated the association between spontaneous fasting ketonuria and liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients without prediabetes and diabetes mellitus. Results showed that patients with ketonuria were younger, had lower levels of glucose and insulin resistance, and had an inverse association with liver fibrosis compared to patients without ketonuria. The presence of ketonuria in these patients may have favorable metabolic effects.
Article
Pediatrics
Antonella Mosca, Luca Della Volpe, Anna Alisi, Silvio Veraldi, Paola Francalanci, Giuseppe Maggiore
Summary: The study showed that Hepamet and APRI perform better than NFS and FIB-4 in identifying fibrosis in NAFLD patients. However, their positive predictive values are not high enough to be considered diagnostic, indicating the need for further research on new markers for fibrosis.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Xinyan Yu, Chen Chen, Yi Guo, Yuling Tong, Yi Zhao, Lingyan Wu, Xue Sun, Xifeng Wu, Zhenya Song
Summary: This study found that NAFLD patients with high levels of liver fibrosis have a higher risk of developing CP compared to non-NAFLD patients. Progression from no NAFLD to low NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) to high NFS is associated with an increased risk of CP. Risk factors for CP vary based on baseline NAFLD and NFS status, with hypertension being the only significant risk factor among NAFLD patients with high NFS.
ANNALS OF MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Kenji Yamaoka, Satoshi Saitoh, Keiichi Kinowaki, Shunichiro Fujiyama, Yusuke Kawamura, Hitomi Sezaki, Tetsuya Hosaka, Norio Akuta, Masahiro Kobayashi, Fumitaka Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Suzuki, Yasuji Arase, Kenji Ikeda, Toshio Fukusato, Hiromitsu Kumada
Summary: This study aimed to compare the clinicopathological features of typical steatohepatitic HCC (SH-HCC) with other HCCs. The results showed significant differences between SH-HCC and other HCCs in terms of age, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Tumor size and background steatosis were also significantly different between the two groups. The combined use of ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) improved the diagnostic accuracy of SH-HCC. According to LI-RADS, 87% of SH-HCC cases were classified as malignant tumors.
CLINICS AND RESEARCH IN HEPATOLOGY AND GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Tetsuya Hosaka
ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Tetsuya Hosaka, Fumitaka Suzuki, Masahiro Kobayashi, Shunichirou Fujiyama, Yusuke Kawamura, Hitomi Sezaki, Norio Akuta, Yoshiyuki Suzuki, Satoshi Saitoh, Yasuji Arase, Kenji Ikeda, Mariko Kobayashi, Hiromitsu Kumada
Summary: This study found that switching from TDF or ADV to TAF resulted in favorable renal safety over 2 years. In the CKD stage 3a-4 subgroup, eGFR recovered within the first 12 weeks after TAF and then stabilized.
HEPATOLOGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Nozomu Muraishi, Yusuke Kawamura, Norio Akuta, Junichi Shindoh, Masaru Matsumura, Satoshi Okubo, Shunichiro Fujiyama, Tetsuya Hosaka, Satoshi Saitoh, Hitomi Sezaki, Fumitaka Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Suzuki, Kenji Ikeda, Yasuji Arase, Masaji Hashimoto, Ichiro Yasuda, Hiromitsu Kumada
Summary: In this study, the effect of lenvatinib on tumor blood vessel diameter in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma was investigated. It was found that lenvatinib can reduce the diameter of tumor blood vessels, which may be considered as a process of normalization. The decrease in tumor blood vessels in imaging analysis may be associated with improved prognosis, but further studies are still required.
Article
Oncology
Norio Akuta, Hitomi Sezaki, Shunichiro Fujiyama, Yusuke Kawamura, Tetsuya Hosaka, Mariko Kobayashi, Satoshi Saitoh, Yasuji Arase, Kenji Ikeda, Yoshiyuki Suzuki, Fumitaka Suzuki, Hiromitsu Kumada
Summary: This study found that a combination of simple markers can help non-specialized doctors evaluate the risk of PLC following HCV clearance with DAAs. However, regular imaging studies are still recommended for the early detection of PLC.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Yusuke Kawamura, Norio Akuta, Junichi Shindoh, Masaru Matsumura, Satoshi Okubo, Licht Tominaga, Shunichiro Fujiyama, Tetsuya Hosaka, Satoshi Saitoh, Hitomi Sezaki, Fumitaka Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Suzuki, Kenji Ikeda, Yasuji Arase, Masaji Hashimoto, Takuyo Kozuka, Hiromitsu Kumada
Summary: This study showed that curative-intent subsequent treatment is more beneficial for HCC patients with better liver function (mALBI grade 1 and 2a) and intrahepatic target nodules who have received lenvatinib treatment.
CLINICAL JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Norio Akuta, Yusuke Kawamura, Shunichiro Fujiyama, Kenichi Nakamichi, Eiji Saegusa, Hidetoshi Ogura, Masaki Kato, Etsuko Doi, Naoko Inoue, Hitomi Sezaki, Tetsuya Hosaka, Mariko Kobayashi, Satoshi Saitoh, Yasuji Arase, Kenji Ikeda, Yoshiyuki Suzuki, Hiromitsu Kumada, Fumitaka Suzuki
Summary: This retrospective cohort study evaluated the treatment efficacy and predictive factors of a combined diet and exercise program for fatty liver. The program improved liver function tests and body weight, and the etiology of non-NAFLD, presence of diabetes mellitus, and large waist circumference were identified as independent predictors of decreased hemoglobin A1c levels.
HEPATOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Yusuke Kawamura, Norio Akuta, Junichi Shindoh, Masaru Matsumura, Satoshi Okubo, Licht Tominaga, Shunichiro Fujiyama, Tetsuya Hosaka, Satoshi Saitoh, Hitomi Sezaki, Fumitaka Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Suzuki, Kenji Ikeda, Yasuji Arase, Masaji Hashimoto, Takuyo Kozuka, Hiromitsu Kumada
Summary: This study analyzed the data of 64 BCLC stage C patients with intrahepatic target nodules who received systemic therapy. The results showed that the combined use of multiple treatment procedures improved the overall survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
Article
Oncology
Yusuke Kawamura, Masahiro Kobayashi, Junichi Shindoh, Masaru Matsumura, Satoshi Okubo, Nozomu Muraishi, Shunichiro Fujiyama, Tetsuya Hosaka, Satoshi Saitoh, Hitomi Sezaki, Norio Akuta, Fumitaka Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Suzuki, Kenji Ikeda, Yasuji Arase, Masaji Hashimoto, Hiromitsu Kumada
Summary: The utility of F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-18-FDG-PET/CT) as a predictor of early progressive disease (e-PD) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo/Bev) was investigated in this study. The results showed that a tumor-to-normal liver ratio (TLR) >= 2, indicating higher oncological aggressiveness, was associated with lower objective response rates, higher e-PD rates, and worse early progression-free survival (e-PFS). Pretreatment F-18-FDG-PET/CT may be a useful new predictor of e-PD and may enable early decision-making based on early treatment changes following Atezo/Bev treatment of HCC.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Norio Akuta, Yusuke Kawamura, Shunichiro Fujiyama, Satoshi Saito, Nozomu Muraishi, Hitomi Sezaki, Tetsuya Hosaka, Masahiro Kobayashi, Mariko Kobayashi, Yasuji Arase, Kenji Ikeda, Fumitaka Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Suzuki, Hiromitsu Kumada
Summary: This study investigated the impact of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after 5 years of treatment. The results showed that, after 5 years, 50% of patients had histological improvement, 17% had no change, and 33% had worsening. Insulin resistance and serum ferritin levels also significantly decreased at 5 years. In addition, patients who added another treatment after long-term use of SGLT2i showed minimal worsening. This study provides important insights for understanding the long-term effects of SGLT2i in treating NAFLD with T2DM.
HEPATOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Tetsuya Hosaka, Fumitaka Suzuki, Mariko Kobayashi, Shunichiro Fujiyama, Yusuke Kawamura, Hitomi Sezaki, Norio Akuta, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yoshiyuki Suzuki, Satoshi Saitoh, Yasuji Arase, Kenji Ikeda, Hiromitsu Kumada
Summary: The study found that measuring HBcrAg using an ultrasensitive assay has a better potential for predicting the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B undergoing antiviral treatment.
HEPATOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)