Table 3.
Patient (n = 22) characteristics based on the reduction in hepatic fat accumulation
| Characteristics | MRI-PDFF† responders‡ (n = 13) | MRI-PDFF non-responders§ (n = 9) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | Age, years | 49.5 ± 15.8 | 51.0 ± 10.6 | 0.779 |
| Male | 8 (61.5%) | 5 (55.6%) | 0.78 | |
| Comorbidities | Type 2 diabetes | 5 (36.5%) | 5 (55.6%) | 0.429 |
| Dyslipidemia | 9 (69.2%) | 7 (77.8%) | 0.658 | |
| Hypertension | 5 (38.5%) | 3 (33.3%) | 0.806 | |
| Hyperuricemia | 3 (23.0%) | 0 (0%) | 0.121 | |
| Concomitant drug use | Anti-diabetic agents | 4 (23.1%) | 5 (55.6%) | 0.245 |
| Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4)-inhibitor | 4 (23.1%) | 1 (11.1%) | 0.279 | |
| Metformin | 2 (15.4%) | 4 (44.4%) | 0.132 | |
| Sulfonylurea | 0 (0%) | 1 (11.1%) | 0.219 | |
| Anti-lipidemic agents | 8 (61.5%) | 7 (77.8%) | 0.421 | |
| Anti-hypertensives | 4 (30.8%) | 2 (22.2%) | 0.658 | |
| Vitamin E | 5 (38.5%) | 0 (0%) | 0.004** | |
| Ursodeoxycholic acid | 1 (7.7%) | 0 (0%) | 0.394 | |
| Liver image | MRI-PDFF, % | 17.47 ± 1.67 | 20.37 ± 2.01 | 0.281 |
| Magnetic resonance elastography, kPa | 2.71 ± 1.10 | 2.49 ± 0.61 | 0.602 | |
| Metabolic factors | Weight, kg | 83.2 ± 19.0 | 74.8 ± 10.1 | 0.252 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 29.2 ± 4.5 | 27.3 ± 2.5 | 0.336 | |
| Systolic blood pressure, mmHg | 125.5 ± 5.2 | 127.4 ± 3.0 | 0.335 | |
| Glucose, mg/dl | 116.8 ± 28.8 | 128.4 ± 31.9 | 0.403 | |
| Insulin, µU/ml | 41.2 ± 36.6 | 52.6 ± 85.4 | 0.676 | |
| HOMA-IR¶ | 12.9 ± 13.4 | 7.8 ± 6.9 | 0.341 | |
| Hemoglobin A1c, % | 6.0 ± 1.0 | 6.4 ± 1.1 | 0.417 | |
| Liver function | Platelet counts | 225.9 ± 49.6 | 203.6 ± 60.2 | 0.352 |
| Alanine aminotransferase, U/L | 88.1 ± 45.9 | 92.6 ± 41.0 | 0.821 | |
| Aspartate aminotransferase, U/L | 64.3 ± 31.7 | 62.0 ± 25.6 | 0.864 | |
| γ-glutamyl transferase, U/L | 81.9 ± 49.2 | 94.3 ± 58.6 | 0.596 | |
| Alkaline phosphatase, U/L | 207.7 ± 70.5 | 261.2 ± 62.9 | 0.082 | |
| Total bilirubin, mg/dl | 0.82 ± 0.30 | 0.86 ± 0.54 | 0.824 | |
| Lipids | Total cholesterol, mg/dl | 183.5 ± 42.3 | 185.4 ± 21.4 | 0.903 |
| Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, mg/dl | 102.5 ± 32.7 | 107.9 ± 29.2 | 0.694 | |
| High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, mg/dl | 33.8 ± 17.6 | 43.0 ± 20.5 | 0.281 | |
| Triglyceride, mg/dl | 257.2 ± 204.1 | 172.9 ± 93.5 | 0.263 | |
| Inflammation marker | High sensitivity C-reactive protein, mg/L | 0.18 ± 0.20 | 0.17 ± 0.10 | 0.836 |
| Ferritin, ng/ml | 201.5 ± 143.4 | 174.2 ± 161.5 | 0.681 | |
| Fibrosis marker | Type IV collagen 7s, ng/ml | 4.8 ± 1.7 | 5.7 ± 0.9 | 0.147 |
| Fibrosis-4 index | 1.18 ± 0.85 | 2.09 ± 0.97 | 0.030* | |
| Renal function | Blood urea nitrogen, mg/dl | 13.8 ± 3.1 | 13.4 ± 6.6 | 0.879 |
| Creatinine, mg/dl | 0.84 ± 0.22 | 0.75 ± 0.17 | 0.261 | |
| Vitamin B6 | Pyridoxamine, ng/ml | 0.39 ± 0.28 | 0.27 ± 0.10 | 0.76 |
| Pyridoxal, ng/ml | 45.7 ± 97.2 | 14.9 ± 25.2 | 0.36 | |
| Pyridoxine, ng/ml | 3.05 ± 0.17 | 3.00 ± 0.0 | 0.419 | |
| SF-8†† quality of life | Physical component | 48.1 ± 6.9 | 48.5 ± 8.9 | 0.898 |
| Mental component | 48.5 ± 8.7 | 50.2 ± 6.4 | 0.625 |
Data are expressed as number (%) or mean ± SD; *p<0.05, **p<0.01; †magnetic resonance imaging-based proton density fat fraction; reduction in lipid accumulation on MRI-PDFF ‡>8% or §<8%; ¶homeostasis model assessment as an index of insulin resistance; ††8-Item Short-Form Health Survey.