Table 1.
Characteristics of the study population
| Feature | NL (n = 18) | NAFL (n = 18) | NASH (n = 15) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 48.2 ± 12.9 | 54.3 ± 14.9 | 47.4 ± 11.7 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 27.1 ± 4.2 | 29.9 ± 4* | 29.4 ± 2.7 |
| Glucose (mg/dL) | 91.4 ± 11.1 | 96.1 ± 9.6 | 98.6 ± 15.6 |
| Insulin (µU/L) | 7.6 ± 6.6 | 9.6 ± 4.1* | 11.5 ± 5.3* |
| HOMA‐IR | 1.7 ± 0.9 | 2.3 ± 1.1* | 2.8 ± 1.4* |
| Triglycerides (mg/dL) | 110 ± 38.8 | 135.3 ± 39.8* | 138.9 ± 40.4* |
| HDL‐cholesterol (mg/dL) | 48.3 ± 10.8 | 49.5 ± 8.9 | 46.3 ± 8.9 |
| ALT (IU/L) | 17.2 ± 5.9 | 24.6 ± 9.3** | 42.8 ± 18.6*** |
| AST (IU/L) | 17.3 ± 3.8 | 20.3 ± 5.1* | 27 ± 11.9*** |
| GGT (IU/L) | 26.2 ± 16.6 | 39.4 ± 29.6* | 52.6 ± 35.2*** |
| Steatosis (%) | |||
| Grade 0 | 100% | ||
| Grade 1 | 66.6% | ||
| Grade 2 | 33.3% | 50% | |
| Grade 3 | 50% | ||
| Lobular inflammation (%) | |||
| Grade 0 | 100% | 100% | |
| Grade 1 | 80% | ||
| Grade 2 | 10% | ||
| Grade 3 | 10% | ||
| Ballooning (%) | |||
| Grade 0 | 100% | 100% | |
| Grade 1 | 70% | ||
| Grade 2 | 30% | ||
| Grade 3 | |||
| Fibrosis (%) | |||
| Stage 0 | 100% | 100% | 30% |
| Stage 1 | 70% | ||
| Stage 2 | |||
| Stage 3 |
Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation or as number of cases (%). Study population: Normal liver (NL) individuals (n = 18), NAFL patients (n = 18) and NASH patients (n = 15). HOMA‐IR, homeostatic model assessment‐insulin resistance; HDL, high‐density lipoprotein; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; GGT, gamma‐glutamyltransferase. *P < .05, **P < .01 and ***P < .005, NAFL or NASH vs NL.