Browsing by Subject "Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease"
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Item Consensus: guidelines: best practices for detection, assessment and management of suspected acute drug-induced liver injury during clinical trials in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(Wiley, 2019-03) Regev, Arie; Palmer, Melissa; Avigan, Mark I.; Dimick‐Santos, Lara; Treem, William R.; Marcinak, John F.; Seekins, Daniel; Krishna, Gopal; Anania, Frank A.; Freston, James W.; Lewis, James H.; Sanyal, Arun J.; Chalasani, Naga; Gastroenterology, IU School of MedicineBACKGROUND: The last decade has seen a rapid growth in the number of clinical trials enrolling patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Due to the underlying chronic liver disease, patients with NASH often require different approaches to the assessment and management of suspected drug-induced liver injury (DILI) compared to patients with healthy livers. However, currently no regulatory guidelines or position papers systematically address best practices pertaining to DILI in NASH clinical trials. AIMS: This publication focuses on best practices concerning the detection, monitoring, diagnosis and management of suspected acute DILI during clinical trials in patients with NASH. METHODS: This is one of several papers developed by the IQ DILI Initiative, comprised of members from 15 pharmaceutical companies, in collaboration with DILI experts from academia and regulatory agencies. This paper is based on extensive literature review, and discussions between industry members with expertise in drug safety and DILI experts from outside industry to achieve consensus on common questions related to this topic. RESULTS: Recommended best practices are outlined pertaining to hepatic inclusion and exclusion criteria, monitoring of liver tests, DILI detection, approach to a suspected DILI signal, causality assessment and hepatic discontinuation rules. CONCLUSIONS: This paper provides a framework for the approach to assessment and management of suspected acute DILI during clinical trials in patients with NASH.Item FOXO transcription factors protect against the diet-induced fatty liver disease(SpringerNature, 2017-03-16) Pan, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Yang; Kim, Hyeong-Geug; Liangpunsakul, Suthat; Dong, X. Charlie; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, IU School of MedicineForkhead O transcription factors (FOXOs) have been implicated in glucose and lipid homeostasis; however, the role of FOXOs in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is not well understood. In this study, we designed experiments to examine the effects of two different diets-very high fat diet (HFD) and moderately high fat plus cholesterol diet (HFC)-on wildtype (WT) and liver-specific Foxo1/3/4 triple knockout mice (LTKO). Both diets induced severe hepatic steatosis in the LTKO mice as compared to WT controls. However, the HFC diet led to more severe liver injury and fibrosis compared to the HFD diet. At the molecular levels, hepatic Foxo1/3/4 deficiency triggered a significant increase in the expression of inflammatory and fibrotic genes including Emr1, Ccl2, Col1a1, Tgfb, Pdgfrb, and Timp1. Thus, our data suggest that FOXO transcription factors play a salutary role in the protection against the diet-induced fatty liver disease.Item Histologic Abnormalities in Children with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Normal or Mildly Elevated Alanine Aminotransferase Levels.(Elsevier, 2014-04) Molleston, Jean P.; Schwimmer, Jeffrey B.; Yates, Katherine P.; Murray, Karen F.; Cummings, Oscar W.; Lavine, Joel E.; Brunt, Elizabeth M.; Scheimann, Ann O.; Unalp-Arida, Aynur; Department of Pediatrics, IU School of MedicineObjectives: To investigate the histological spectrum of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children with normal, mildly elevated (26–50 U/L boys, 23–44 U/L girls), or elevated (> 50 boys, > 44 girls) serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. Study design: The Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network (NASH CRN) enrolls children 5–18 years with NAFLD. We analyzed baseline clinical and histological data from 91 children with suspected NAFLD and normal or mildly elevated ALT and liver biopsy within 180 days of ALT, and compared them with 392 children with elevated ALT. Results: Of 91 children, 17 (19%) had normal and 74 (81%) had mildly elevated ALT levels. Overall, 45% of biopsies had ≥ 33% steatosis, lobular inflammation grade was ≥ 2 in 22%, 81% had portal inflammation, 29% had ballooned hepatocytes, 35% had “suspicious/borderline” steatohepatitis, and 8% had definite NASH, 34% had NAFLD activity score (NAS) ≥ 4. Overall, 46% had fibrosis (38% mild/moderate and 8% bridging/cirrhosis). Marked steatosis (50% vs 24%) and fibrosis (54% vs 12%) were significantly more common in mildly elevated vs normal, with no difference in ballooning, inflammation, or NAS ≥ 4. Fibrosis stage 3/4 was seen in none of the children with normal ALT, and in 9% of the mildly elevated and 15% of the elevated. Conclusions: Liver biopsies of children with NAFLD with normal or mildly elevated ALT levels show significant histologic abnormalities, including advanced fibrosis in children with mildly elevated ALT. ALT thus may underestimate liver injury in NAFLD. Appropriate ALT cut-off levels can help identify children at risk for more severe disease.Item Interrogation of selected genes influencing serum LDL-Cholesterol levels in patients with well characterized NAFLD(Elsevier, 2021) Vilar-Gomez, Eduardo; Gawrieh, Samer; Liang, Tiebing; McIntyre, Adam D.; Hegele, Robert A.; Chalasani, Naga; Medicine, School of MedicineBackground: The clinical significance of rare mutations in LDL metabolism genes on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) severity is not well understood. Objective: To examine the significance of mutations in LDL metabolism genes including apolipoprotein B (APOB), proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9 (PCSK9) and LDL receptor (LDLR) in patients with NAFLD. Methods: Patients with biopsy-confirmed NAFLD from the NASH Clinical Research Network studies were stratified into 3 groups of LDL-C (≤50 mg/dL, 130-150 mg/dL, ≥ 190 mg/dL) and then 120 (40 per group) were randomly selected from the strata. We examined the presence of mutations on LDL genes and analyzed its association with selected NAFLD-related features. Multivariable analyses were adjusted for age, race, gender and use of statins. Results: Among 40 patients with LDL-C ≤ 50 mg/dL, 7 (18%) patients had heterozygous variants in APOB and 2 had heterozygous variants in PCSK9 (5%). We also found heterozygous mutations in 3 (8%) patients with LDL-C ≥ 190 mg/dL; 2 and 1 located in LDLR and APOE genes, respectively. Compared to wild-type controls with LDL-C ≤ 50, APOB carriers displayed higher levels of alanine aminotransferase (85.86 ± 35.14 U/L vs 45.61 ± 20.84 U/L, Adj. P = 0.002) and steatosis >66% (57% vs 24%, Adj. P = 0.050). These associations remained statistically significant after excluding statin users. Other histological features of NAFLD severity were not different between wild-type controls and APOB mutation carriers. Conclusion: Mutations in the APOB gene are common among NAFLD patients with very low LDL-C and may be associated with increased aminotransferase levels and steatosis severity.Item Lipid mediators of liver injury in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(American Physiological Society, 2019-01-01) Liangpunsakul, Suthat; Chalasani, Naga; Medicine, School of MedicineNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) comprises a spectrum of histopathological phenotypes ranging from simple steatosis to more severe liver disease associated with cell injury, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Only a subset of patients with NAFLD develop NASH from yet incompletely understood mechanisms. Emerging data suggest lipid species other than triglycerides as contributors to the pathogenesis of NASH. In this mini review, we focus on the recent data on the mechanisms of NASH, focusing on these lipid mediators and their potential as therapeutic targets in NASH.Item Low and High Birth Weights Are Risk Factors for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Children(Elsevier, 2017-08) Newton, Kimberly P.; Feldman, Haruna S.; Chambers, Christina D.; Wilson, Laura; Behling, Cynthia; Clark, Jeanne M.; Molleston, Jean P.; Chalasani, Naga; Sanyal, Arun J.; Fishbein, Mark H.; Lavine, Joel E.; Schwimmer, Jeffrey B.; Medicine, School of MedicineOBJECTIVES: To examine the distribution of birth weight in children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) compared with the general US population, and to investigate the relationship between birth weight and severity of NAFLD. STUDY DESIGN: A multicenter, cross-sectional study of children with biopsy-proven NAFLD enrolled in the Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network Database. Birth weight was categorized as low birth weight (LBW), normal birth weight (NBW), or high birth weight (HBW) and compared with the birth weight distribution in the general US population. The severity of liver histology was assessed by birth weight category. RESULTS: Children with NAFLD (n = 538) had overrepresentation of both LBW and HBW compared with the general US population (LBW, 9.3%; NBW, 75.8%; HBW, 14.9% vs LBW, 6.1%; NBW, 83.5%; HBW 10.5%; P < .0001). Children with HBW had significantly greater odds of having more severe steatosis (OR, 1.82, 95% CI. 1.15-2.88) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.21-3.40) compared with children with NBW. In addition, children with NAFLD and LBW had significantly greater odds of having advanced fibrosis (OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.08-4.62). CONCLUSION: Birth weight involves maternal and in utero factors that may have long-lasting consequences. Children with both LBW and HBW may be at increased risk for developing NAFLD. Among children with NAFLD, those with LBW or HBW appear to be at increased risk for more severe disease.Item Management of Dyslipidemia as a Cardiovascular Risk Factor in Individuals with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease(Elsevier B.V., 2014-07) Corey, Kathleen E.; Chalasani, Naga; Department of Medicine, IU School of MedicineNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most frequent cause of liver disease in the United States and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cardiovascular (CV) mortality, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. CVD is one of the most common causes of death among individuals with NAFLD and management of NAFLD must extend beyond liver disease to include CVD risk modification. Clinicians should assess CVD risk with the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and screen for CVD risk factors including dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, tobacco use and the metabolic syndrome (MetS). CVD risk factors, particularly dyslipidemia, require aggressive medical management to reduce the high risk of CVD events and death in individuals with NAFLD.Item Noninvasive stratification of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by whole transcriptome cell-free mRNA characterization(American Physiological Society, 2021) Chalasani, Naga; Toden, Shusuke; Sninsky, John J.; Rava, Richard P.; Braun, Jerome V.; Gawrieh, Samer; Zhuang, Jiali; Nerenberg, Michael; Quake, Stephen R.; Maddala, Tara; Medicine, School of MedicineHepatic fibrosis stage is the most important determinant of outcomes in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). There is an urgent need for noninvasive tests that can accurately stage fibrosis and determine efficacy of interventions. Here, we describe a novel cell-free (cf)-mRNA sequencing approach that can accurately and reproducibly profile low levels of circulating mRNAs and evaluate the feasibility of developing a cf-mRNA-based NAFLD fibrosis classifier. Using separate discovery and validation cohorts with biopsy-confirmed NAFLD (n = 176 and 59, respectively) and healthy subjects (n = 23), we performed serum cf-mRNA RNA-Seq profiling. Differential expression analysis identified 2,498 dysregulated genes between patients with NAFLD and healthy subjects and 134 fibrosis-associated genes in patients with NAFLD. Comparison between cf-mRNA and liver tissue transcripts revealed significant overlap of fibrosis-associated genes and pathways indicating that the circulating cf-mRNA transcriptome reflects molecular changes in the livers of patients with NAFLD. In particular, metabolic and immune pathways reflective of known underlying steatosis and inflammation were highly dysregulated in the cf-mRNA profile of patients with advanced fibrosis. Finally, we used an elastic net ordinal logistic model to develop a classifier that predicts clinically significant fibrosis (F2-F4). In an independent cohort, the cf-mRNA classifier was able to identify 50% of patients with at least 90% probability of clinically significant fibrosis. We demonstrate a novel and robust cf-mRNA-based RNA-Seq platform for noninvasive identification of diverse hepatic molecular disruptions and for fibrosis staging with promising potential for clinical trials and clinical practice.Item PNPLA3 rs738409 and Risk of Fibrosis in NAFLD: Exploring Mediation Pathways Through Intermediate Histological Features(Wolters Kluwer, 2022) Vilar-Gomez, Eduardo; Pirola, Carlos J.; Sookoian, Silvia; Wilson, Laura A.; Lian, Tiebing; Chalasani, Naga; Medicine, School of MedicineBackground and aims: It is unclear whether rs738409 (p.I148M) missense variant in patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 rs738409 promotes fibrosis development by triggering specific fibrogenic pathways or by creating an unfavorable microenvironment by promoting steatosis, inflammation, and ultimately fibrosis. We tested the hypothesis that intermediate histologic traits, including steatosis, lobular and portal inflammation, and ballooning may determine the effect of rs738409 on liver fibrosis among individuals with biopsy-proven NAFLD. Approach and results: Causal mediation models including multiple mediators in parallel or sequentially were performed to examine the effect of rs738409, by decomposing its total effect on fibrosis severity into direct and indirect effects, mediated by histology traits in 1153 non-Hispanic White patients. Total effect of rs738409 on fibrosis was β = 0.19 (95% CI: 0.09-0.29). The direct effect of rs738409 on fibrosis after removing mediators' effects was β = 0.09 (95% CI: 0.01-0.17) and the indirect effect of rs738409 on fibrosis through all mediators' effects were β = 0.010 (95% CI: 0.04-0.15). Among all mediators, the greatest estimated effect size was displayed by portal inflammation (β = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.05-0.12). Among different sequential combinations of histology traits, the path including lobular inflammation followed by ballooning degeneration displayed the most significant indirect effect (β = 0.023, 95% CI: 0.011-0.037). Mediation analysis in a separate group of 404 individuals with biopsy-proven NAFLD from other races and ethnicity showed similar results. Conclusions: In NAFLD, nearly half of the total effect of the rs738409 G allele on fibrosis severity could be explained by a direct pathway, suggesting that rs738409 may promote fibrosis development by activating specific fibrogenic pathways. A large proportion of the indirect effect of rs738409 on fibrosis severity is mediated through portal inflammation.Item Progression of Fatty Liver Disease in Children Receiving Standard of Care Lifestyle Advice(Elsevier, 2020-11) Xanthakos, Stavra A.; Lavine, Joel E.; Yates, Katherine P.; Schwimmer, Jeffrey B.; Molleston, Jean P.; Rosenthal, Philip; Murray, Karen F.; Vos, Miriam B.; Jain, Ajay K.; Scheimann, Ann O.; Miloh, Tamir; Fishbein, Mark; Behling, Cynthia A.; Brunt, Elizabeth M.; Sanyal, Arun J.; Tonascia, James; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBackground & aims: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common pediatric chronic liver disease. Little is known about outcomes in recognized youth. Methods: We compared paired liver biopsies from 122 of 139 children with NAFLD (74% male; 64% white; 71% Hispanic; mean age, 13 ± 3 years; age range, 8-17 years) who received placebo and standard of care lifestyle advice in 2 double-blind, randomized clinical trials within the nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) clinical research network from 2005 through 2015. We analyzed histologic changes with respect to baseline and longitudinal change in clinical variables using regression analysis. Results: At enrollment, 31% of the children had definite NASH, 34% had borderline zone 1 NASH, 13% had borderline zone 3 NASH, and 21% had fatty liver but not NASH. Over a mean period of 1.6 ± 0.4 years, borderline or definite NASH resolved in 29% of the children, whereas 18% of the children with fatty liver or borderline NASH developed definite NASH. Fibrosis improved in 34% of the children but worsened in 23%. Any progression to definite NASH and/or in fibrosis was associated with adolescent age, and higher waist circumference, levels of alanine or aspartate aminotransferase, total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol at baseline (<0.05), and over follow-up time, with increasing level of alanine aminotransferase, hemoglobin A1C (P<.05), gamma-glutamyl transferase and development of type 2 diabetes (P<.01). Increasing level of gamma-glutamyl transferase was also associated with reduced odds of any improvement (P = .003). Conclusions: One-third of children with NAFLD enrolled in placebo groups of clinical trials had histologic features of progression within 2 years, in association with increasing obesity and serum levels of aminotransferases and loss of glucose homeostasis.