Research Article Details

Article ID: A08162
PMID: 32222944
Source: Indian J Gastroenterol
Title: Correlation between insulin resistance and liver histology in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis with and without obesity.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Insulin resistance (IR) plays a central role in pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The aim of this study was to correlate histopathological grading and IR in overweight/obese patients with NASH as compared with lean NASH. METHODS: Patients with NASH who underwent liver biopsy between January 2012 and December 2012 were included. Anthropometric, clinical, and biochemical features, necro-inflammatory grades, and fibrosis stage on liver biopsies were scored according to Brunt and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity score (NAS). RESULTS: Of 42 patients, 33 (78.6%) had body mass index (BMI) &#8805;&#8201;23&#160;kg/m2 (overweight/obese) while 9 had BMI <&#8201;23&#160;kg/m2 (lean). Mean fasting blood sugar (FBS) and HbA1c levels in overweight/obese patients with NASH were higher than in lean NASH (p&#8201;<&#8201;0.05). The median homeostatic model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) among NASH patients with BMI &#8805;&#8201;23&#160;kg/m2 was higher than among those with BMI <&#8201;23&#160;kg/m2 (3.02 [0.34-17.22] vs. 2 [0.52-5.26]; p&#8201;=&#8201;0.045). However, fasting insulin levels were comparable among lean and overweight/obese patients with NASH. Metabolic syndrome could be predicted with 75% sensitivity and 85.3% specificity at a HOMA-IR cutoff value of 3.9. No significant difference was observed with regard to HOMA-IR levels with Brunt grades, Brunt staging, Brunt grades 1 and 2, Brunt scores <&#8201;2 and >&#8201;2, and NAS scores, and NAS scores <&#8201;4 and >&#8201;4. CONCLUSIONS: Although IR was significantly higher in overweight/obese patients with NASH as compared with that in lean patients with NASH, there was no difference in the correlation of HOMA-IR with histology between these groups.
DOI: 10.1007/s12664-020-01024-z