Table 3.
Leukocyte telomere length in relation to baseline characteristics.
| Leukocyte telomere length (T/S ratio) (mean ± SD or correlation coefficient (rho)) | p value | |
|---|---|---|
| Population mean: 1.33 ± 0.23 T/S | ||
| TONIC treatment group | ||
| Placebo | 1.35 ± 0.26 | 1.0 |
| Metformin | 1.30 ± 0.21 | 0.29 |
| Vitamin E | 1.34 ± 0.22 | 0.77 |
| Demographics | ||
| Sex | ||
| Male | 1.32 ± 0.26 | 0.62 |
| Female | 1.35 ± 0.26 | |
| Age at enrolment (years) | − 0.24 | < 0.001 |
| Age category (years) | ||
| < 10 | 1.42 ± 0.18 | |
| 10–13 | 1.37 ± 0.25 | 0.46 |
| > 13 | 1.28 ± 0.22 | 0.04 |
| Mexican origin | ||
| No | 1.31 ± 0.22 | 1.0 |
| Yes | 1.35 ± 0.24 | 0.37 |
| Metabolic health at baseline | ||
| Anthropometrics | ||
| Waist circumference (cm) | − 0.20 | 0.01 |
| Body mass index | − 0.23 | < 0.01 |
| Birthweight (lbs) | − 0.03 | 0.69 |
| Glucose control | ||
| Insulin (mcU/mL) | − 0.04 | 0.62 |
| Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), Glucose, 2 h (mg/dL) | − 0.14 | 0.09 |
| Glucose, fasting | − 0.10 | 0.21 |
| HOMA-IR | − 0.09 | 0.27 |
| HOMA-IR | ||
| ≥ 3.99 | 1.32 ± 0.23 | 0.28 |
| < 3.99 | 1.37 ± 0.25 | |
| Blood pressure | ||
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | − 0.06 | 0.44 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | − 0.15 | 0.07 |
| Lipids | ||
| LDL (mg/dL) | 0.08 | 0.31 |
| HDL (mg/dL) | 0.03 | 0.70 |
| Triglycerides (mg/dL) | − 0.02 | 0.80 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dL) | 0.06 | 0.46 |
| Liver health at baseline | ||
| Liver function tests | ||
| Alanine transaminase (ALT) (U/L) | 0.02 | 0.84 |
| Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (U/L) | 0.07 | 0.43 |
| Alkaline phosphatase (U/L) | 0.14 | 0.09 |
| Total bilirubin (mg/dL) | − 0.10 | 0.22 |
| Direct bilirubin (mg/dL) | 0.08 | 0.36 |
| ALT (U/L) quartiles | ||
| < 73 | 1.35 ± 0.25 | 1.0 |
| 73–90 | 1.33 ± 0.26 | 0.69 |
| 91–< 145 | 1.32 ± 0.22 | 0.27 |
| ≥ 145 | 1.34 ± 0.19 | 0.84 |
| AST (U/L) quartiles | ||
| < 43 | 1.34 ± 0.28 | 1.0 |
| 43–55 | 1.32 ± 0.26 | 0.69 |
| 56–< 78 | 1.31 ± 0.21 | 0.63 |
| ≥ 78 | 1.34 ± 0.19 | 0.90 |
| ANA autoantibody | ||
| Positive | 1.29 ± 0.20 | 0.34 |
| Negative | 1.34 ± 0.24 | |
| General liver biopsy findings at baseline | ||
| Steatosis baseline (increasing) | 0.07 | 0.42 |
| Lobular inflammation (increasing) | 0.15 | 0.08 |
| Portal inflammation (increasing) | 0.16 | 0.06 |
| Fibrosis (increasing) | 0.10 | 0.24 |
| Ballooning (increasing) | − 0.04 | 0.62 |
| Lobular inflammation at baseline | ||
| 0–< 2 | 1.29 ± 0.21 | 1.0 |
| 2–4 | 1.34 ± 0.25 | 0.17 |
| > 4 | 1.47 ± 0.21 | 0.02 |
| Portal inflammation at baseline | ||
| None | 1.25 ± 0.19 | 1.0 |
| Mild | 1.32 ± 0.24 | 0.30 |
| More than mild | 1.41 ± 0.22 | 0.07 |
| Fibrosis at baseline | ||
| 0 (none) | 1.28 ± 0.28 | 1.0 |
| 1 (mild-moderate Z3 peri Sinusoidal/portal-periportal) | 1.34 ± 0.22 | 0.27 |
| 2 (Z3 periportal) | 1.34 ± 0.22 | 0.29 |
| 3 (bridging) | 1.36 ± 0.24 | 0.26 |
| Ballooning at baseline | ||
| 0 (none) | 1.32 ± 0.24 | 1.0 |
| 1 (few) | 1.38 ± 0.25 | 0.15 |
| 2 (many) | 1.27 ± 0.18 | 0.39 |
| Steatosis at baseline | ||
| 0–1 (≤ 5–33%) | 1.29 ± 0.27 | 1.00 |
| 2 (34–66%) | 1.37 ± 0.20 | 0.12 |
| 3 (> 66%) | 1.33 ± 0.22 | 0.44 |
| Steatosis location at baseline | ||
| Zone 1-periportal | 1.35 ± 0.20 | 1.0 |
| Zone 3-periportal | 1.34 ± 0.26 | 0.29 |
| Azonal | 1.30 ± 0.20 | 0.12 |
| Panacinar | 1.32 ± 0.23 | 0.21 |
| Any NASH baseline | ||
| No (not NASH) | 1.25 ± 0.28 | 1.0 |
| Yes (borderline or definite NASH) | 1.34 ± 0.22 | 0.07 |
| NASH baseline | ||
| No NASH | 1.25 ± 0.28 | 1.0 |
| Borderline | 1.36 ± 0.24 | 0.08 |
| Definite NASH | 1.32 ± 0.20 | 0.23 |
| NASH activity score (NAS) (ballooning + lobular + steatosis) | 0.10 | 0.25 |
| Hepatic injury/necrosis specific parameters from liver biopsy | ||
| Acidophil bodies | ||
| Rare/absent | 1.30 ± 0.23 | 1.0 |
| Many | 1.35 ± 0.23 | 0.18 |
| Mallory bodies | ||
| Rare/absent | 1.33 ± 0.23 | 1.0 |
| Many | 1.18 ± 0.30 | 0.45 |
| Microgranulomas | ||
| No | 1.28 ± 0.20 | 1.0 |
| Yes | 1.33 ± 0.23 | 0.64 |
| Pigmented macrophages | ||
| Rare/absent | 1.24 ± 0.16 | 1.0 |
| Many | 1.33 ± 0.23 | 0.38 |
| Metabolic associated characteristics from liver biopsy | ||
| Glycogen nuclei | ||
| Rare/absent | 1.33 ± 0.25 | 1.0 |
| Many | 1.33 ± 0.22 | 0.63 |
| Large lipogranulomas | ||
| Rare/absent | 1.33 ± 0.24 | 1.0 |
| Many | 1.3 4 ± 0.22 | 0.32 |
| Megamitochondria | ||
| Rare/absent | 1.33 ± 0.23 | 1.0 |
| Many | 1.33 ± 0.22 | 0.8 |
| Microvesicular steatosis | ||
| Absent | 1.33 ± 0.24 | 1.0 |
| Present | 1.32 ± 0.15 | 0.63 |