Fig. 1.

Spectrum of NAFLD progression. The development of NAFLD is divided into four stages: simple steatosis (or NAFL), NASH, liver cirrhosis, and eventually HCC [1]. Factors that cause simple steatosis include Western HFHSDs, obesity, T2DM (particularly the associated IR), and other metabolic diseases. Factors that contribute to the development of NASH include inflammation and hepatocyte apoptosis. Liver fibrosis is a transitional phase of NASH that results in the development of liver cirrhosis. Liver fibrosis is divided into four stages according to the degree of fibrosis present in patients with NASH and cirrhosis