Serum Ferritin and cellular reactive protein (CRP) in non alcoholic Fatty liver disease(NAFLD) and non alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH) patients

Abstract

Summary Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in the world, and it comprises a spectrum of hepatic abnormalities from simple hepatic steatosis to steatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Simple steatosis (i.e., NAFL) rarely progresses to advanced disease whereas, in approximately 20% of patients with NASH, it progresses to fibrosis and cirrhosis and potentially to hepatocellular carcinoma over a 15-year time period. NAFLD is present in 30% of the general adult population and found predominantly in obese people with high-fat diets and inactive lifestyles. The majority of patients with NAFLD have accompanying insulin resistance that plays a central role in the metabolic syndrome. NAFLD is also deemed to be hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Recently, several non-invasive markers such as serum ferritin have emerged as possible predictors for the presence of NASH versus simple steatosis.