Unregistered User If this is not your name, click here.
		Contact Us | Order Now | Journals | Bookstore | Register a colleague
	Select a ChannelAcneAIDS and HIVAllergy OtherAlzheimer'sAnaesthesiology OtherAngina Pectoris/MIAnxietyArthritis OtherAsthmaBack PainBacterial InfectionsBladder CancerBone Marrow TransplantationBreast CancerCardiology OtherCataractCell TransplantationCervical CancerCholesterol/Lipid disordersCirrhosisClinical PharmacologyColorectal CancerCongestive Heart FailureContact DermatitisContraceptionCOPDCystic FibrosisDental and Oral DisordersDepressionDermatology OtherDiabetesDialysisEating DisordersElbowEmergency MedicineEndocrinology OtherEpilepsyErectile DysfunctionFibromyalgiaGastro OtherGeneticsGenitourinary OtherGeriatricsGERD/GastritisGlaucomaH. Pylori/UlcerHaematology OtherHair LossHeadachesHepa/Biliary OtherHepatitisHipHRTHypertensionIBDImmunologyInfectious OtherInfertilityIntensive CareIrritable Bowel SyndromeKneeLeukemiasLiver CancerLung CancerLupusLymphomasMelanomaMenopauseMultiple Sclerosis Nephrology OtherNeurologic OtherNutritional / Metabolic OtherOb/Gyn OtherObesityOncology OtherOphth. OtherOphthalmic SurgeryOrgan TransplantationOrthopaedics OtherOsteoarthritisOsteoporosisOtitisOtorhino. OtherOvarian CancerPaediatricsPainPancreatic CancerParkinson'sPregnancyProstate CancerPsychiatry OtherPulmonary OtherRadiologyRenal CancerRenal FailureRespiratory InfectionsRheumatoid arthritisRheumatology OtherRhinitisSchizophreniaShoulderSleep ApnoeaSleep DisordersSpineStrokeSTDsSurgeryThyroid DisordersTransfusionTransplant Surgery OtherTraumaUrinary IncontinenceUrinary tract infectionsVaccinologyVascular DisordersViral Infections

SEARCH   News Bookstore Medline The Web Meetings & Congresses Complete Doctor's Guide    EXPLORE :    All News   All Webcasts   All Cases   All Meetings & Congresses   All Medical Resources New drugs / indications English Dictionary Medical Dictionary Thesaurus Warning | Privacy | Awards  Favourite Journals  Click here to choose your favourite journals  Favourite Sites  Click here to choose your favourite sites  Languages  Select languageEnglishFrançais

AASLD: Blood Test for Two Markers of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease May Replace Liver Biopsy By Mark L. Fuerst BOSTON, MA -- November 4, 2004 -- Measurement of two serum markers of inflammation and fibrosis may obviate the need for liver biopsy in the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Michael R. Charlton, MD, associate professor of medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, presented results of a prospective study here on November 1st at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. According to Dr. Charlton, NAFLD affects 25 million Americans and is the most common cause of liver disease. The majority of patients do not have serious liver injury, but a liver biopsy is the only way to differentiate fibrosis from simple steatosis, he said. Leptin is a mediator of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in NAFLD, and resistin and adiponectin are important modulators of insulin resistance, a central factor in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. To determine whether the levels of these cytokines differ in patients with NAFLD compared to obese and lean controls, Dr. Charlton and colleagues conducted a prospective study involving 10 patients with simple steatosis and 10 with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), as well as 20 controls (10 obese and 10 lean) with no evidence of liver disease, including normal liver tests and no fatty infiltration on ultrasound. The researchers gathered patient data on demographics, anthropometric measurements, bone densitometry, liver tests, homeostatis model assessment, and C-reactive protein levels. Leptin, resistin, and adiponectin were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results show that levels of leptin (P =.001) and resistin (P =.006), but not adiponectin (P =.4), were higher in subjects with NASH than in those with simple steatosis. The combination of high leptin (40 ng/mL or greater) and resistin (1.1 ng/mL) was strongly differentiated patients with NASH from those with simple steatosis, Dr. Charlton said, with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 90%. "This combination may be useful in screening people at risk for NAFLD without a liver biopsy," said Dr. Charlton. "Patients with simple steatosis do not need a biopsy." He said that the study is being expanded to include 100 patients "to validate this encouraging model," he said. The most common causes of NAFLD are obesity and type 2 diabetes. Experts estimate that by 2020, NAFLD will become the leading cause of liver transplantation in the United States. [Presentation title: "Adipokine Levels Are Predictive of Histology In Patients With Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease." Abstract 242] E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version