| 1. |
- Akbari, Camilla, et al.
(författare)
-
Long-term major adverse liver outcomes in 1,260 patients with non-cirrhotic NAFLD
- 2024
-
Ingår i: JHEP Reports. - : Elsevier. - 2589-5559. ; 6:2
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background & AimsLong-term studies of the prognosis of NAFLD are scarce. Here, we investigated the risk of major adverse liver outcomes (MALO) in a large cohort of patients with NAFLD.MethodsWe conducted a cohort study with data from Swedish university hospitals. Patients (n = 1,260) with NAFLD without cirrhosis were diagnosed through biopsy or radiology, and had fibrosis estimated through vibration-controlled transient elastography, biopsy, or FIB-4 score between 1974 and 2020 and followed up through 2020. Each patient was matched on age, sex, and municipality with up to 10 reference individuals from the general population (n = 12,529). MALO were ascertained from Swedish national registers. The rate of events was estimated by Cox regression.ResultsMALO occurred in 111 (8.8%, incidence rate = 5.9/1,000 person-years) patients with NAFLD and 197 (1.6%, incidence rate = 1.0/1,000 person-years) reference individuals during a median follow up of 13 years. The rate of MALO was higher in patients with NAFLD (hazard ratio = 6.6; 95% CI = 5.2–8.5). The risk of MALO was highly associated with the stage of fibrosis at diagnosis. In the biopsy subcohort (72% of total sample), there was no difference in risk between patients with and without non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. The 20-year cumulative incidences of MALO were 2% for the reference population, 3% for patients with F0, and 35% for F3. Prognostic information from biopsy was comparable to FIB-4 (C-indices around 0.73 vs. 0.72 at 10 years).ConclusionsThis study provides updated information on the natural history of NAFLD, showing a high rate of progression to cirrhosis in F3 and a similar prognostic capacity of non-invasive tests to liver biopsy.Impact and implicationsSeveral implications for clinical care and future research may be noted based on these results. First, the risk estimates for cirrhosis development are important when communicating risk to patients and deciding on clinical monitoring and treatment. Estimates can also be used in updated health-economic evaluations, and for regulatory agencies. Second, our results again highlight the low predictive information obtained from ascertaining NASHstatus by histology and call for more objective means by which to define NASH. Such methods may include artificial intelligence-supported digital pathology. We highlight that NASH is most likely the causal factor for fibrosis progression in NAFLD, but the subjective definition makes the prognostic value of a histological NASH diagnosis of limited value. Third, the finding that prognostic information from biopsy and the very simple Fibrosis-4 score were comparable is important as it may lead to fewer biopsies and further move the field towards non-invasive means by which to define fibrosis and, importantly, use non-invasive tests as outcomes in clinical trials. However, all modalities had modest discriminatory capacity and new risk stratification systems are needed in NAFLD. Repeated measures of non-invasive scores may be a potential solution.
|
|
| 2. |
- Balkhed, Wile, et al.
(författare)
-
Repeated measurements of non-invasive fibrosis tests to monitor the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease : A long-term follow-up study
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Liver international (Print). - Chichester, United Kingdom : John Wiley & Sons. - 1478-3223 .- 1478-3231. ; 42:7, s. 1546-1556
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and Aims: The presence of advanced hepatic fibrosis is the prime marker for the prediction of liver-related complications in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Blood-based non-invasive tests (NITs) have been developed to evaluate fibrosis and identify patients at risk. Current guidelines propose monitoring the progression of NAFLD using repeated NITs at 2-3-year intervals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of changes in NITs measured at two time points with the progression of NAFLD.Methods. We retrospectively included NAFLD patients with NIT measurements in whom the baseline hepatic fibrosis stage had been assessed by biopsy or transient elastography (TE). Subjects underwent follow-up visits at least 1 year from baseline to evaluate the progression of NAFLD. NAFLD progression was defined as the development of end-stage liver disease or fibrosis progression according to repeat biopsy or TE. The following NITs were calculated at baseline and follow-up: Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4), NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) and dynamic aspartate-to-alanine aminotransferase ratio (dAAR).Results: One hundred and thirty-five patients were included with a mean follow-up of 12.6 +/- 8.5 years. During follow-up, 41 patients (30%) were diagnosed with progressive NAFLD. Change in NIT scores during follow-up was significantly associated with disease progression for all NITs tested except for NFS. However, the diagnostic precision was suboptimal with area under the receiver operating characteristics 0.56-0.64 and positive predictive values of 0.28-0.36 at sensitivity fixed at 90%.Conclusions: Change of FIB-4, NFS, APRI, and dAAR scores is only weakly associated with disease progression in NAFLD. Our findings do not support repeated measurements of these NITs for monitoring the course of NAFLD.
|
|
| 3. |
- Dulai, Parambir S, et al.
(författare)
-
Increased risk of mortality by fibrosis stage in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease : Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Hepatology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0270-9139 .- 1527-3350. ; 65:5, s. 1557-1565
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Liver fibrosis is the most important predictor of mortality in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Quantitative risk of mortality by fibrosis stage has not been systematically evaluated. We aimed to quantify the fibrosis stage-specific risk of all-cause and liver-related mortality in NAFLD.METHODS: Through a systematic review and meta-analysis, we identified 5 adult NAFLD cohort studies reporting fibrosis stage specific mortality (0-4). Using fibrosis stage 0 as a reference population, fibrosis stage-specific mortality rate ratios (MRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), for all-cause and liver-related mortality, were estimated. The study is reported according to the PRISMA statement.RESULTS: 1,495 NAFLD patients with 17,452 patient years of follow-up were included. Compared to NAFLD patients with no fibrosis (stage 0), NAFLD patients with fibrosis were at an increased risk for all-cause mortality and this risk increased with increase in the stage of fibrosis: stage 1, MRR, 1.58 (95% CI 1.19-2.11); stage 2, MRR, 2.52 (95% CI 1.85-3.42); stage 3, MRR, 3.48 (95% CI 2.51-4.83), and stage 4, MRR, 6.40 (95% CI 4.11-9.95). The results were more pronounced as the risk of liver-related mortality increased exponentially with increase in the stage of fibrosis: stage 1, MRR, 1.41 (95% CI 0.17-11.95); stage 2, MRR, 9.57 (95% CI 1.67-54.93); stage 3, MRR, 16.69 (95% CI 2.92-95.36); and stage 4, MRR, 42.30 (95% CI 3.51-510.34).LIMITATIONS: Inability to adjust for co-morbid conditions or demographics known to impact fibrosis progression in NAFLD, and the inclusion of patients with simple steatosis and NASH without fibrosis in the reference comparison group.CONCLUSION: The risk of liver-related mortality increases exponentially with increase in fibrosis stage. These data have important implications in assessing utility of each stage and benefits of regression of fibrosis from one stage to another. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
|
|
| 4. |
- Forsgren, Mikael F, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
-
Biomarkers of liver fibrosis : prospective comparison of multimodal magnetic resonance, serum algorithms and transient elastography.
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 55:7, s. 848-859
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Accurate biomarkers for quantifying liver fibrosis are important for clinical practice and trial end-points. We compared the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including gadoxetate-enhanced MRI and 31P-MR spectroscopy, with fibrosis stage and serum fibrosis algorithms in a clinical setting. Also, in a subset of patients, MR- and transient elastography (MRE and TE) was evaluated when available.METHODS: Patients were recruited prospectively if they were scheduled to undergo liver biopsy on a clinical indication due to elevated liver enzyme levels without decompensated cirrhosis. Within a month of the clinical work-up, an MR-examination and liver needle biopsy were performed on the same day. Based on late-phase gadoxetate-enhanced MRI, a mathematical model calculated hepatobiliary function (relating to OATP1 and MRP2). The hepatocyte gadoxetate uptake rate (KHep) and the normalised liver-to-spleen contrast ratio (LSC_N10) were also calculated. Nine serum fibrosis algorithms were investigated (GUCI, King's Score, APRI, FIB-4, Lok-Index, NIKEI, NASH-CRN regression score, Forns' score, and NAFLD-fibrosis score).RESULTS: The diagnostic performance (AUROC) for identification of significant fibrosis (F2-4) was 0.78, 0.80, 0.69, and 0.78 for MRE, TE, LSC_N10, and GUCI, respectively. For the identification of advanced fibrosis (F3-4), the AUROCs were 0.93, 0.84, 0.81, and 0.82 respectively.CONCLUSION: MRE and TE were superior for non-invasive identification of significant fibrosis. Serum fibrosis algorithms developed for specific liver diseases are applicable in this cohort of diverse liver diseases aetiologies. Gadoxetate-MRI was sufficiently sensitive to detect the low function losses associated with fibrosis. None was able to efficiently distinguish between stages within the low fibrosis stages.Lay summaryExcessive accumulation of scar tissue, fibrosis, in the liver is an important aspect in chronic liver disease. To replace the invasive needle biopsy, we have explored non-invasive methods to assess liver fibrosis. In our study we found that elastographic methods, which assess the mechanical properties of the liver, are superior in assessing fibrosis in a clinical setting. Of interest from a clinical trial point-of-view, none of the tested methods was sufficiently accurate to distinguish between adjacent moderate fibrosis stages.
|
|
| 5. |
- Hagstrom, Hannes, et al.
(författare)
-
Accuracy of Noninvasive Scoring Systems in Assessing Risk of Death and Liver-Related Endpoints in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. - : Saunders Elsevier. - 1542-3565 .- 1542-7714. ; 17:6, s. 1148-1156.e4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and AimsSeveral non-invasive scoring systems have been developed to determine risk of advanced fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We examined the association between 4 scoring systems and incident severe liver disease and overall mortality in a large cohort of patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD.MethodsWe performed a retrospective analysis of data from 646 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD, recruited from 2 hospitals in Sweden, from 1971 through 2009. The NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), FIB-4, APRI, and BARD scores were calculated at the time of the liver biopsy. Based on each score, patients were assigned to categories of low, intermediate, or high risk for advanced fibrosis. Overall mortality and severe liver disease (cirrhosis, decompensated liver disease, liver failure, or hepatocellular carcinoma) were ascertained through linkage with national registers until the end of 2014. Cox regression, area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve, and C-statistic analyses were used to study the predictive capacity of each scoring system.ResultsDuring a mean follow-up time of 19.9±8.7 years, there were 214 deaths and 76 cases of severe liver disease. For overall mortality, AUROC curve values were: NFS, 0.72 (95% CI, 0.68–0.76); FIB-4, 0.72 (95% CI, 0.68–0.76); BARD, 0.62 (95% CI, 0.58–0.66); and APRI, 0.52 (95% CI, 0.47–0.57). For severe liver disease, AUROC curve values were: NFS, 0.72 (95% CI, 0.66–0.78); FIB-4, 0.72 (95% CI, 0.66–0.79); BARD, 0.62 (95% CI, 0.55–0.69); APRI, 0.69 (95% CI, 0.63–0.76). C-statistics for all scores were of moderate capacity to predict outcomes.ConclusionsIn a retrospective analysis of data from 646 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD, we found the NFS and the FIB-4 scores to most accurately determine risk of overall death or severe liver disease. However, the AUROC values for these scoring systems are not high enough for use in the clinic; new systems are needed to determine prognoses of patients with NAFLD.
|
|
| 6. |
- Hagström, Hannes, et al.
(författare)
-
Low to moderate lifetime alcohol consumption is associated with less advanced stages of fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 52:2, s. 159-165
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and aim: Moderate alcohol consumption has been associated with a lower risk of disease severity in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is unclear if this reflects current or lifetime drinking, or can be attributed to confounders such as diet and exercise. We evaluated the impact of lifetime alcohol consumption on fibrosis severity in NAFLD. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 120 subjects with biopsy-proven NAFLD and through detailed questionnaires examined lifetime alcohol consumption, diet and physical activity. Main outcome measures were odds ratios (OR) for fibrosis stage, calculated through ordinal regression after adjustment for body mass index, diabetes mellitus type 2, smoking and age at biopsy. A biomarker for recent alcohol consumption, phosphatidyl ethanol (PEth) was sampled. Results: An increase in median weekly alcohol consumption to a maximum of 13 drinks per week was associated with lower fibrosis stage (adjusted OR for each incremental unit, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.76-0.97; p = .017). The lowest risk for fibrosis was found with the lowest odds seen in the top quartile of alcohol consumption (aOR 0.23; 95% CI 0.08-0.66; p = .006). Adding soft drink and coffee consumptions, and physical activity to the model did not change the estimates. Subjects with PEth >= 0.3 mu mol/L had higher ORs for a higher fibrosis stage (aOR 2.77; 95% CI 1.01-7.59; p = .047). Conclusion: Lifetime alcohol consumption with up to 13 units per week is associated with lower fibrosis stage in NAFLD. Elevated PEth is associated with higher stages of fibrosis.
|
|
| 7. |
- Hagström, Hannes, et al.
(författare)
-
SAF score and mortality in NAFLD after up to 41 years of follow-up
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. - : TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 52:1, s. 87-91
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and aims: A new score for the histological severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), called SAF (Steatosis, Activity and Fibrosis) has been developed. We aimed to evaluate the impact of this score on overall mortality. Methods: We used data from 139 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD. All biopsies were graded according to the SAF scoring system and disease severity was classified as mild, moderate or severe. Causes of death were extracted from a national, population-based register. A Cox regression model, adjusted for sex, body mass index (BMI) and diabetes mellitus type 2, was applied. Results: At baseline 35 patients presented with mild or moderate disease respectively, and 69 patients with severe disease. During follow-up (median 25.3 years, range 1.7-40.8) 74 patients died, 11 in the mild group (31%), 18 in the moderate group (51%) and 45 in the severe group (65%), p=.002. Compared to patients with mild disease, patients with moderate disease did not have a significant increase in overall mortality (HR 1.83, 95% CI 0.89-3.77, p=.10). Patients with severe disease had a significant increase in mortality (HR 2.65, 95% CI 1.19-5.93, p=.017). However, when adjusting for fibrosis stage, significance was lost (HR 1.85, 95% CI 0.76-4.54, p=.18). NASH, defined as per the FLIP algorithm, was not associated with mortality compared to not having NASH (HR 1.46, 95% CI 0.74-2.90, p=.28). Conclusions: After adjustment for fibrosis, the SAF score was not associated with increased mortality in NAFLD. This finding should be corroborated in larger cohorts with similar follow-up time.
|
|
| 8. |
- Kechagias, Stergios, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
-
Established and emerging factors affecting the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Metabolism. - : Elsevier. - 0026-0495 .- 1532-8600. ; 111
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common chronic liver disease affecting approximately 25% of the global population. Although a majority of NAFLD patients will never experience liver-related symptoms it is estimated that 5-10% will develop cirrhosis-related complications with risk of death or need for liver transplantation. NAFLD is closely associated with cardiovascular disease and components of the metabolic syndrome. However, NAFLD is not uncommon in lean individuals and may in these subjects represent a different entity with separate pathophysiological mechanisms involved implying a higher risk for development of end-stage liver disease. There is considerable fluctuation in the histopathological course of NAFLD that may partly be attributed to lifestyle factors and dietary composition. Nutrients such as fructose, monounsaturated fatty acids, and trans-fatty acids may aggravate NAFLD. Presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus seems to be the most important clinical predictor of liver-related morbidity and mortality in NAFLD. Apart from severity of the metabolic syndrome, genetic polymorphisms and environmental factors, such as moderate alcohol consumption, may explain the variation in histopathological and clinical outcome among NAFLD patients. (c) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
|
|
| 9. |
- Kechagias, Stergios, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
-
Non-invasive diagnosis and staging of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Hormones. - Cham, Switzerland : Springer. - 1109-3099 .- 2520-8721. ; 21, s. 346-368
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered to be the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome and is characterized by ectopic accumulation of triglycerides in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes, i.e., steatosis. NAFLD has become the most common chronic liver disease, with an estimated global prevalence of 25%. Although the majority of NAFLD patients will never experience liver-related complications, the progressive potential of NAFLD is indisputable, with 5-10% of subjects progressing to cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, or hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD patients with advanced fibrosis are at the highest risk of developing cardiovascular and cirrhosis-related complications. Liver biopsy has hitherto been considered the reference method for evaluation of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis stage. Given the limitations of biopsy for widescale screening, non-invasive tests (NITs) for assessment of steatosis and fibrosis stage, including serum-based algorithms and ultrasound- and magnetic resonance-based methods, will play an increasing role in the management of NAFLD patients. This comprehensive review presents the advantages and limitations of NITs for identification of steatosis and advanced fibrosis in NAFLD. The clinical implications of using NITs to identify and manage NAFLD patients are also discussed.
|
|
| 10. |
- Linge, Jennifer, 1990-
(författare)
-
Adverse Muscle Composition : Revisiting Sarcopenia in General Population and Liver Disease using Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- 2023
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sarcopenia - from the Greek words 'sarx' (flesh) and 'penia' (loss) - was, when coined in 1989, a term denoting the decline in muscle mass and strength that occurs with aging. Such definition implies everyone suffers from sarcopenia to varying degrees, which naturally makes studying sarcopenia challenging. Early (practical) definitions of sarcopenia focused on identification of low muscle mass, while later definitions also include criteria of low muscle strength. Use of such definitions to study sarcopenia has shown that wasting is intensified in those suffering from metabolic diseases, and even more rapid in end-stage diseases. Although it is unknown whether sarcopenia accelerate disease or the other way around, detection of sarcopenia concurrent with other diseases clearly identifies a vulnerable subgroup of patients who may need more extensive care.In severe stages of liver disease, poor muscle health has been linked to higher morbidity and mortality, and may affect the outcome of liver transplantation. Sarcopenia is therefore recognized as an important factor that should affect both clinical decision-making and intervention in patients being evaluated for liver transplantation. However, sarcopenia is poorly understood (and commonly overlooked) in earlier stages of disease, where the potential of preventative care is greater. One challenge has been the prevalence of obesity in diseases that may precede more advanced disease, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Due to their larger body size, individuals with obesity need more muscle mass to maintain mobility function. Therefore, the threshold for what is considered ‘low muscle mass’ needs to be higher, or somehow adjusted for body size.This thesis started by applying the European definition of sarcopenia in 10,000 individuals aged 44-78 years volunteering for the UK Biobank imaging study. It was identified that current body size adjustments used to detect 'low muscle mass' were ineffective. The consequence of this was underdiagnosis of sarcopenia in individuals with overweight and obesity.Therefore, a more personalized muscle volume assessment, that was independent of body size, was developed with the aim to describe how much an individual is deviating from what is expected and address whether they have an 'adequate' amount of muscle volume - muscle volume z-score.Muscle volume was measured using magnetic resonance imaging and from the same images, muscle fat infiltration (indicating muscle quality) was also quantified. The first results indicated that muscle volume z-score and muscle fat infiltration were independently associated with mobility function and hospitalization, and that a combination of the two may identify the most vulnerable individuals. Therefore, thresholds were suggested to identify an adverse muscle composition (low muscle volume z-score combined with high muscle fat infiltration).Following studies investigated associations of adverse muscle composition with metabolic diseases, mobility function, and mortality in general population and NAFLD. Overall, the studies showed that adverse muscle composition was associated with increased morbidity and mortality independent of mobility function, and indicated that muscle composition assessment could provide clinically relevant information that may be useful in risk-stratification of heterogeneous disease populations like NAFLD.Today, the relevance of adverse muscle composition and potential clinical use cases are evaluated in the liver transplant setting through both European and American clinical studies.
|
|
