Table 1.
Characteristics of the study cohort.
| N/A | Biopsy-proven F0-F2 | Biopsy-proven F3-F4 | Non-invasive F4 | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total n | 65 | 18 | 13 | ||
| Demographics | |||||
| Age, years | 50.0 (23.0) | 59.0 (14.0) | 64.0 (7.0) | <0.001 | |
| Gender female, n (%) | 30 (46.2) | 9 (52.9) | 5 (38.5) | 0.739 | |
| Body mass index, kg/m² | 30.0 (6.2) | 32.1 (10.2) | 31.4 (4.3) | 0.053 | |
| Type 2 diabetes, n (%) | 7 (10.8) | 9 (52.9) | 7 (53.8) | <0.001 | |
| Arterial hypertension, n (%) | 37 (56.9) | 14 (82.4) | 11 (84.6) | 0.042 | |
| Metabolic syndrome (IDF criteria), n (%) | 1 | 20 (31.2) | 11 (64.7) | 8 (61.5) | 0.012 |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 18 | 105.5 (19.8) | 119.5 (19.2) | 120.0 (4.2) | 0.003 |
| Metformin use, n (%) | 7 (10.8) | 5 (29.4) | 5 (38.5) | 0.024 | |
| Antihypertensive drug use, n (%) | 26 (40.0) | 12 (70.6) | 10 (76.9) | 0.010 | |
| Proton pump inhibitor use, n (%) | 5 (7.7) | 5 (29.4) | 4 (30.8) | 0.018 | |
| Laboratory parameters | |||||
| Albumin, g/L | 1 | 45.0 (3.5) | 44.0 (4.0) | 42.0 (3.0) | 0.025 |
| Creatinine, mg/dL | 1 | 0.8 (0.3) | 0.8 (0.2) | 0.9 (0.2) | 0.403 |
| Urea, mg/dL | 1 | 29.0 (14.0) | 26.0 (11.0) | 29.0 (12.0) | 0.557 |
| Uric acid, mg/dL | 1 | 6.1 (2.0) | 6.1 (1.9) | 6.2 (2.4) | 0.666 |
| AST, U/L | 1 | 32.5 (21.0) | 51.0 (26.0) | 56.0 (23.0) | 0.001 |
| ALT, U/L | 1 | 50.5 (53.5) | 59.0 (28.0) | 34.0 (34.0) | 0.122 |
| GGT, U/L | 1 | 67.0 (82.5) | 119.0 (79.0) | 180.0 (103.0) | 0.002 |
| Alkaline phosphatase, U/L | 1 | 73.5 (26.0) | 81.0 (27.0) | 90.0 (37.0) | 0.195 |
| Bilirubin, mg/dL | 2 | 0.5 (0.4) | 0.4 (0.3) | 0.9 (0.5) | 0.005 |
| Ferritin, µg/L | 2 | 180.0 (168.0) | 238.0 (165.0) | 195.5 (278.0) | 0.439 |
| Triglycerides, mg/dL | 1 | 137.0 (105.8) | 197.0 (130.0) | 129.0 (142.0) | 0.162 |
| Total cholesterol, mg/dL | 1 | 189.0 (56.2) | 171.0 (57.0) | 169.0 (42.0) | 0.055 |
| HDL cholesterol mg/dL | 6 | 50.0 (20.0) | 43.0 (10.5) | 41.0 (14.8) | 0.092 |
| LDL cholesterol mg/dL | 9 | 119.5 (48.8) | 99.0 (63.0) | 81.0 (56.5) | 0.058 |
| Platelet count, x1E9/L | 1 | 225.0 (85.5) | 234.0 (90.0) | 121.0 (70.0) | <0.001 |
| INR | 1 | 1.0 (0.1) | 1.0 (0.1) | 1.1 (0.3) | <0.001 |
| Prothrombin time (s) | 1 | 108.0 (16.2) | 105.0 (25.0) | 84.0 (41.0) | <0.001 |
| HbA1c, % | 10 | 5.2 (0.5) | 5.9 (1.2) | 6.0 (1.1) | <0.001 |
| Fasting glucose, mg/dL | 1 | 93.5 (14.0) | 110.0 (37.0) | 131.0 (56.0) | <0.001 |
| Alpha-fetoprotein kU/L | 11 | 2.0 (2.0) | 4.0 (2.0) | 4.0 (0.0) | <0.001 |
| Non-invasive fibrosis assessment | |||||
| Transient Elastography, kPa | 5 | 5.4 (2.4) | 13.6 (6.6) | 24.4 (16.0) | <0.001 |
| NAFLD Fibrosis Score | 1 | −2.5 (2.1) | −0.7 (1.3) | 0.9 (1.3) | <0.001 |
| FIB-4 Index | 1 | 0.9 (0.8) | 1.8 (1.4) | 3.8 (3.1) | <0.001 |