Intrahepatic cholestasis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

To determine the frequency of intrahepatic cholestasis and its impact on the clinical features of the different forms of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

The study involved 163 patients with NAFLD: 92 (56.4%) with hepatic steatosis (HS), 56 (34.4%) with steatohep- atitis (SH) and 15 (9.2%) with liver cirrhosis (LC). Diagnosis is based on clinical, laboratory, ultrasound and histological data. Insulin, tu- mor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), fragments of cytokeratin-18 (FCK-18) were determined by ELISA. The index of insulin resistance (HOMA- IR) was calculated. NAFLD fibrosis score (NAFLD-FS) was determined, taking into account the patient's age, body mass index, presence or absence of carbohydrate metabolism disturbances, levels of ASAT, ALAT, albumin and blood platelets.

Cholestatic syndrome was detected in 49 (30.1%) NAFLD patients: in 23 (25%) with HS, in 19 (33.9%) with SH and in 7 (46.7%) with LC. Patients with HS, SH and LC with signs of cholestasis as compared to patients with the same forms of NAFLD without cholestasis had significantly higher levels of the following indicators: aminotransferases, triglycerides, HOMA-IR, TNF-α, FCK-18, NAFLD-FS, - the number of platelets is reduced, indirectly confirming the more rapid development of fibrosis in cholestasis. These findings were consistent with published data on the violation in cholestasis regulatory functions of bile acids, which are ligands of hepatocyte nuclear receptor, re- sponsible for normal homeostasis.

In all forms of NAFLD with cholestasis were detected more pronounced liver cell inflammation, hepatocyte necrosis and apoptosis, fibrosis, disturbance of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, which contributed to a progressive course of NAFLD and confirmed the need for medical correction of cholestasis, starting with the earliest form of NAFLD - hepatosteatosis.