TABLE 2. Patient characteristics.
| Derivation cohort (n = 48) | Validation cohort (n = 170) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lean healthy controls | Study 1: patients with severe obesity | Study 1: patients with severe obesity | Study 2: patients with T2DM | Study 3: patients screened for liver disease | |
| n = 10 | n = 38 | n = 59 | n = 36 | n = 75 | |
| Age (mean, SD) | 45 (12) | 41 (13) | 45 (13) | 56 (10) | 57 (10) |
| Sex (Male, n %) | 3 (30.0) | 10 (26.3) | 27 (45.8) | 16 (44.4) | 46 (61.3) |
| Metabolic phenotype | |||||
| BMI (kg/m2) | 24.1 (4.3) | 43.1 (8.4) | 42.7 (8.6) | 38.0 (12.1) | 35.0 (10.3) |
| Obesea | 0 (0.0) | 38 (100.0) | 59 (100.0) | 29 (80.6) | 60 (80.0) |
| Prediabetesb | 1 (10.0) | 14 (36.8) | 25 (71.4) | 0 (0.0) | 30 (85.7) |
| T2DM | 0 (0.0) | 7 (18.4) | 20 (33.9) | 36 (100.0) | 32 (42.7) |
| Dyslipidemiac | 0 (0.0) | 8 (21.1) | 19 (32.2) | 17 (47.2) | 31 (41.3) |
| Hypertensiond | 0 (0.0) | 15 (39.5) | 34 (57.6) | 22 (61.1) | 44 (58.7) |
| Biochemistry | |||||
| ALT (U/L) | 17.5 (11.3) | 30.0 (31.8) | 53.0 (42.0) | 37.0 (26.8) | 44.0 (27.0) |
| AST (U/L) | 25.0 (10.0) | 22.5 (11.3) | 36.5 (28.3) | 27.0 (16.8) | 33.0 (24.5) |
| GGT (U/L) | 18.5 (7.5) | 26.0 (32.0) | 44.0 (61.0) | 40.0 (48.8) | 64.0 (108.0) |
| Albumin (g/L) | 45.5 (4.8) | 42.0 (2.0) | 43.0 (4.0) | 44.0 (2.0) | 45.0 (4.0) |
| Triglycerides | 0.8 (0.6) | 1.4 (0.8) | 1.7 (1.3) | 1.7 (1.2) | 1.6 (1.3) |
| Total cholesterol | 4.8 (0.9) | 4.4 (1.3) | 4.4 (1.1) | 4.1 (0.9) | 4.2 (1.4) |
| Plasma TREM2 (ng/ml) | 16.0 (11.0) | 32.2 (36.8) | 55.7 (62.2) | 47.0 (39.0) | 41.6 (40.5) |
| TREM2 in NAS <4 | NA | 24.2 (15.6) | 33.0 (27.2) | 46.5 (20.2) | 30.4 (17.4) |
| TREM2 in NAS ≥4 | NA | 57.0 (37.5) | 86.5 (81.9) | 74.4 (51.7) | 63.6 (39.8) |
| Adiponectin (μg/ml) | NA | 172.7 (129) | 142.0 (86.4) | 131.9 (172.2) | 142.6 (201.2) |
| Leptin (ng/ml) | NA | 990.1 (704.4) | 806.9 (703.9) | 593.3 (528.4) | 359.7 (631.4) |
| Liver assessment | |||||
| TE (kPa) | 3.9 (1.4) | 6.8 (3.3) | 11.8 (10.6) | 11.0 (3.9) | 11.9 (8.0) |
| NASe group (%) 0–1/2–3/4–5/≥6 | NA | 34/34/26/5 | 14/39/37/10 | 8/56/33/3 | 13/47/31/9 |
| SAF score (%) no NAFLD/ NAFLD/ NASH | NA | 29/47/24 | 10/56/34 | 8/67/25 | 12/55/33 |
| Fibrosis stagef (%) 0/1/2/3/4 | NA | 29/50/16/5/0 | 9/52/25/9/5 | 3/33/55/6/3 | 3/41/29/20/7 |
Note: All descriptive data are medians (± interquartile range), or counts (%), or else noted in table.
Abbreviations: ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; BMI, body mass index; GGT, γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase; NA, not applicable; NAS, NAFLD activity score; SAF, steatosis, activity, and fibrosis; T2DM, type 2 diabetes mellitus; TE, transient elastography.
a
BMI ≥30 kg/m2.
b
Fasting glucose between 5.6–7.0 mM, but not T2DM.
c
Taking prescriptions on statins or fibrates.
d
Taking prescriptions on antihypertensive drugs and stating they have arterial hypertension.
e
NASH Clinical Research Network classification system groups.
f
Kleiner fibrosis stages.