Table 1.
Characteristics of the participants according to the presence of NAFLD with normal and elevated transaminases
| Normal enzyme level (n=26) | High enzyme level (n=26) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 44.69±6.02 | 46.38±8.31 | 0.405 |
| Cholesterol (mg/dL) | 217.65±41.70 | 224.85±51.26 | 0.581 |
| Triglyceride (mg/dL) | 185.11±105.33 | 181.92±98.54 | 0.911 |
| AST/ALT | 0.87±0.21 | 0.68±0.14 | 0.001 |
| ALP (IU/L) | 205.04±57.10 | 220.73±91.76 | 0.463 |
| GGT (U/L) | 40.73±29.15 | 58.23±33.70 | 0.050 |
| Total bilirubin (mg/dL) | 0.49±0.21 | 0.77±0.39 | 0.002 |
| Direct bilirubin (mg/dL) | 0.11±0.04 | 0.16±0.10 | 0.033 |
| Albumin/globulin | 1.36±0.15 | 1.38±0.15 | 0.765 |
| Iron (µg/dL) | 77.19±29.67 | 103.00±39.27 | 0.010 |
| Ferritin (mL/ng) | 58.47±77.98 | 133.77±114.92 | 0.001 |
| C-reactive protein (mg/L) | 7.08±5.96 | 8.20±10.33 | 0.978 |
| HbA1c (%) | 6.01±1.14 | 5.97±1.10 | 0.894 |
| HA level | 24.91±12.59 | 41.30±52.10 | 0.272 |
| Gender | 0.099 | ||
| Male | 1 (4) | 6 (23) | |
| Female | 25 (96) | 20 (77) | |
| Diabetes | 0.588 | ||
| Normal | 13 (50) | 14 (54) | |
| Prediabetes | 5 (19) | 7 (27) | |
| Diabetes | 8 (31) | 55 (19) | |
| Steatosis degree | 0.007 | ||
| 1 | 17 (65) | 10 (38) | |
| 2 | 9 (35) | 8 (31) | |
| 3 | 0 (0) | 8 (31) | |
| Steatohepatitis degree | 0.390 | ||
| 0 | 1 (4) | 1 (4) | |
| 1 | 21 (81) | 16 (61) | |
| 2 | 4 (15) | 8 (31) | |
| 3 | 0 (0) | 1 (4) | |
| Fibrosis stage | 0.308 | ||
| 0 | 23 (89) | 20 (77) | |
| 1 | 3 (11) | 4 (15) | |
| 2 | 0 (0) | 2 (8) | |
| CT stage | 0.002 | ||
| 0 | 7 (32) | 0 (0) | |
| 1 | 9 (41) | 3 (17) | |
| 2 | 6 (27) | 11 (61) | |
| 3 | 0 (0) | 4 (22) | |
| Cholesterol level | 0.687 | ||
| Normal | 14 (54) | 11 (42) | |
| 25% less than normal | 10 (39) | 13 (50) | |
| 25% more than normal | 2 (7) | 2 (8) | |
| Triglyceride level | 0.849 | ||
| Normal | 15 (58) | 17 (65) | |
| 25% less than normal | 6 (23) | 5 (19) | |
| 25% more than normal | 5 (19) | 4 (15) |
AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; ALP: Alkaline phosphatase; GGT: Gamma-glutamyl transferase; HA: Hyaluronic acid; CT: Computed tomography; HbA1c: Hemoglobin A1c. Continuous variables are expressed as mean±standard deviation, and categorical variables are expressed as numbers and percentages.