TABLE 1.
Clinical and biochemical features of patients with NAFLD according to disease severity
| Variables | NAFL | NASH | P |
| Number of subjects (%) | 165 (46) | 191 (54) | |
| Female, % | 59.4 | 65 | NS |
| Age, years | 49.5 ± 12 | 50.5 ± 12 | NS |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 38.3 ± 13 | 36.5 ± 9.4 | NS |
| Arterial hypertension, % | 41.6% | 51.3% | NS |
| Glucose-related profile | |||
| Fasting plasma glucose, mg/dl | 100 ± 25 | 129 ± 110 | 1.0 × 10−8 |
| Fasting plasma insulin, μU/ml | 13.3 ± 8.8 | 19 ± 20 | 1.0 × 10−8 |
| HOMA-IR index | 3.34 ± 2.5 | 6.6 ± 16 | 1.0 × 10−8 |
| HbA1c | 6.3 ± 1.3 | 7.5 ± 4.4 | NS |
| Type 2 diabetes, % | 29 | 51.3 | 0.000038 |
| Lipid profile | |||
| Total cholesterol, mg/dl | 199 ± 50 | 204 ± 46 | NS |
| HDL-cholesterol, mg/dl | 49.5 ± 21 | 48 ± 14 | NS |
| LDL-cholesterol, mg/dl | 125 ± 44 | 125 ± 42 | NS |
| Triglycerides, mg/dl | 157 ± 88 | 187 ± 115 | 0.059 |
| Uric acid, mg/dl | 5.6 ± 7.5 | 5.0 ± 2.0 | NS |
| Liver phenotype | |||
| ALT, U/L | 49 ± 53 | 70 ± 55 | 1.0 × 10−8 |
| AST, U/L | 32 ± 17 | 49 ± 33 | 1.0 × 10−8 |
| GGT, U/L | 67 ± 57 | 88 ± 96 | 0.098 |
| AP, U/L | 183 ± 113 | 202 ± 115 | 0.098 |
| Histological features of NAFLD | |||
| Degree of steatosis (0–3) | 1.85 ± 0.81 | 2.4 ± 0.75 | 0.000068 |
| Lobular inflammation (0–3) | 0.52 ± 0.61 | 1.33 ± 0.68 | 1.0 × 10−8 |
| Hepatocellular ballooning (0–2) | 0.09 ± 0.28 | 0.87 ± 0.60 | 1.0 × 10−8 |
| Fibrosis stage | 0.06 ± 0.33 | 1.6 ± 0.70 | 1.0 × 10−8 |
| NAS | 2.4 ± 1.20 | 4.5 ± 1.2 | 1.0 × 10−8 |
Results are expressed as mean ± SD. P stands for statistical significance using Mann-Whitney U test, except for female/male proportion, arterial hypertension, and type 2 diabetes where P stands for statistical significance using the Chi-square test. HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin; GGT, γ-glutamyl-transferase; AP, alkaline phosphatase.