Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD
| Serum ALT level (U/L) | ||||
| Overall (N=345) |
abnALT group (n=240) |
nALT group (n=105) |
P value | |
| Clinical parameters | ||||
| Female sex, n (%) | 83 (24.1) | 45 (18.8) | 38 (36.2) | 0.001 |
| Age, years | 40.2±12.5 | 37.8±12.1 | 45.5±11.6 | < 0.001 |
| WCC, ×109/L | 6.22±1.50 | 6.41±1.60 | 5.80±1.12 | < 0.001 |
| RBC, ×1012/L | 5.01±0.50 | 5.11±0.50 | 4.78±0.44 | < 0.001 |
| PLT, ×109/L | 245.48±57.72 | 243.62±58.69 | 249.72±55.50 | 0.367 |
| MPV, fL | 10.92±0.99 | 10.95±1.02 | 10.87±0.92 | 0.506 |
| SDPV, fL | 13.80±2.77 | 13.94±3.02 | 13.48±2.09 | 0.160 |
| Albumin, g/L | 46.76±3.74 | 47.34±3.19 | 45.43±4.50 | < 0.001 |
| ALT, U/L | 82.47±77.04 | 106.43±81.38 | 27.70±7.77 | < 0.001 |
| AST, U/L | 49.08±33.58 | 59.28±35.50 | 25.77±6.75 | < 0.001 |
| ALP, U/L | 88.43±39.17 | 90.38±35.94 | 83.96±45.57 | 0.161 |
| GGT, U/L | 75.79±99.39 | 89.71±114.30 | 43.98±34.37 | < 0.001 |
| Fasting glucose, mmol/L | 5.60±1.42 | 5.47±1.24 | 5.91±1.74 | 0.007 |
| BUN, mmol/L | 4.83±1.28 | 4.80±1.25 | 4.90±1.34 | 0.505 |
| Creatinine, μmol/L | 67.94±14.49 | 68.72±14.12 | 66.17±15.22 | 0.133 |
| Uric acid, μmol/L | 403.35±105.20 | 420.57±106.75 | 364.00±90.37 | < 0.001 |
| Total cholesterol, mmol/L | 5.05±1.11 | 5.14±1.09 | 4.84±1.15 | 0.023 |
| Triglycerides, mmol/L | 2.30±1.41 | 2.31±1.28 | 2.27±1.69 | 0.774 |
| HDL cholesterol, mmol/L | 1.01±0.23 | 1.00±0.23 | 1.04±0.23 | 0.232 |
| LDL cholesterol, mmol/L | 3.08±0.92 | 3.18±0.89 | 2.86±0.95 | 0.002 |
| GP73, ng/mL | 80.96±40.05 | 85.55±43.02 | 70.45±29.88 | 0.001 |
| CK18-M30, U/L | 354.21±633.71 | 457.84±726.10 | 102.21±88.79 | < 0.001 |
| Zinc, μmol/L | 18.75±4.00 | 18.98±4.00 | 18.24±3.98 | 0.169 |
| Thyroxine, nmol/L | 105.69±18.49 | 105.59±18.20 | 105.93±19.24 | 0.874 |
| HbA1c, % | 6.03±1.27 | 5.92±1.12 | 6.28±1.53 | 0.014 |
| Fasting insulin, pmol/L | 151.54±216.56 | 159.67±238.69 | 132.76±153.19 | 0.290 |
| HOMA-IR | 5.97±10.15 | 5.96±10.35 | 5.99±9.70 | 0.980 |
| AFP, ng/mL | 2.99±1.42 | 3.01±1.34 | 2.94±1.60 | 0.674 |
| Ferritin, μg/L | 347.71±242.07 | 393.36±252.50 | 243.25±178.13 | < 0.001 |
| Type III procollagen, ng/mL | 21.38±19.74 | 22.80±23.42 | 18.21±4.77 | 0.049 |
| Type IV collagen, ng/mL | 20.57±9.57 | 21.73±10.87 | 18.00±4.80 | 0.001 |
| Hyaluronic acid, ng/mL | 48.26±39.89 | 48.49±46.30 | 47.74±19.22 | 0.874 |
| Comorbid diseases, n (%) | ||||
| Diabetes | 104 (30.1) | 66 (27.5) | 38 (36.2) | 0.136 |
| Metabolic syndrome | 199 (60.3) | 144 (62.9) | 55 (54.5) | 0.187 |
| Hypertension | 111 (32.2) | 74 (30.8) | 37 (35.2) | 0.496 |
| Dyslipidemia | 313 (91.5) | 221 (92.9) | 92 (88.5) | 0.258 |
| Hyperuricemia | 131 (38.0) | 107 (44.6) | 24 (22.9) | < 0.001 |
| Obesity BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2 |
190 (55.1) | 143 (59.6) | 47 (44.8) | 0.015 |
| Obesity BMI ≥30 kg/m2 |
48 (14.0) | 37 (15.5) | 11 (10.5) | 0.287 |
| Anthropometry | ||||
| Waist circumference, cm | 92.25±8.70 | 93.30±8.44 | 89.87±8.85 | 0.001 |
| Hip circumference, cm | 99.69±7.46 | 100.63±7.27 | 97.57±7.50 | 0.001 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 26.93±4.20 | 27.31±4.49 | 26.05±3.33 | 0.010 |
| Liver histology | ||||
| NASH, n (%) | 240 (69.6) | 187 (77.9) | 53 (50.5) | < 0.001 |
| Steatosis, n (%) | < 0.001 | |||
| 1 | 142 (41.2) | 67 (27.9) | 75 (71.4) | |
| 2 | 91 (26.4) | 73 (30.4) | 18 (17.1) | |
| 3 | 112 (32.5) | 100 (41.7) | 12 (11.4) | |
| Hepatocyte ballooning, n (%) | 0.272 | |||
| 0 | 13 (3.8) | 8 (3.3) | 5 (4.8) | |
| 1 | 182 (52.8) | 121 (50.4) | 61 (58.1) | |
| 2 | 150 (43.5) | 111 (46.2) | 39 (37.1) | |
| Lobular inflammation, n (%) | 0.004 | |||
| 0 | 21 (6.1) | 11 (4.6) | 10 (9.5) | |
| 1 | 249 (72.2) | 165 (68.8) | 84 (80.0) | |
| 2 | 70 (20.3) | 60 (25.0) | 10 (9.5) | |
| 3 | 5 (1.4) | 4 (1.7) | 1 (1.0) | |
| Fibrosis, n (%) | 0.059 | |||
| 0 | 111 (32.3) | 69 (28.9) | 42 (40.0) | |
| 1 | 161 (46.8) | 124 (51.9) | 37 (35.2) | |
| 2 | 55 (16.0) | 34 (14.2) | 21 (20.0) | |
| 3 | 16 (4.7) | 11 (4.6) | 5 (4.8) | |
| 4 | 1 (0.3) | 1 (0.4) | 0 (0.0) | |
Continuous variables are presented as mean±SD; categorical variables are presented as n (%).
P values <0.05 are in bold.
abnALT, ALT above the upper limit of normal; AFP, alpha-fetoprotein; ALP, alkaline phosphatase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; BMI, body mass index; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; CK18-M30, cytokeratin-18 M30 fragments; GGT, gamma-glutamyl transferase; GP73, Golgi protein 73; HbA1c, hemoglobin A1c; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; HOMA-IR, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; MPV, mean platelet volume; NAFLD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; nALT, normal ALT; NASH, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; PLT, platelet; RBC, red blood cell; SDPV, SD of platelet volume; WCC, white cell count.