New Era for Usage of Serum Liver Enzymes as A Promising Horizon for the Prediction of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Liver histology remains the gold standard for assessing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Noninvasive serological markers and radiological methods have been developed to evaluate steatosis to avoid biopsy.

AIM: To put cutoff value for liver enzymes that could predict non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was conducted on 54 patients (with NAFLD diagnosed by the US). Patients were subjected to history, physical, anthropometric measurements, investigations including liver enzymes, abdominal US, and liver biopsy. According to biopsy results, patients were subdivided according to NASH development. Also, biopsy results were correlated to the levels of liver enzymes.

RESULTS: Forty-seven patients who were suspected to have NAFLD by sonar were confirmed by biopsy. There was a significant correlation between steatosis degree in biopsy and sonar. Correlation study between steatosis in biopsy and ALT level showed highly significant positive correlation. Correlation study between steatosis in biopsy on one side & AST and GGT on the other side showed significant positive correlation. Cutoff value for detection of NASH using ALT & AST & and GGT were 50.5, 56, 60.5 respectively with sensitivity = 95.5, 90.5, 86.4 % and specificity = 93.8, 100, 87.5%.

CONCLUSION: Cut off values of liver enzymes can be combined with abdominal sonar to predict NASH.