Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Ann Transl Med 2021 Apr;9(8):735

State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.

The diagnosis and treatment of various liver diseases have progressed greatly over the years, but clinical outcomes are still not satisfying. New research on the mechanisms and application thereof may effectuate positive changes. Exosomes are membrane-derived nanovesicles ranging in size from 40 to 160 nm and are released by a diversity of cells. Read More

Ann Transl Med 2021 Apr;9(8):729

Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry (IFMPEGKC), RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany.

Liver fibrosis is the excessive expression and accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins in the liver. Fibrotic scarring occurs as the consequence of chronic injury and inflammation. While the successful treatment of hepatitis B and C reduced the burden of liver disease related to viral hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are nowadays the leading causes of hepatic fibrosis worldwide. Read More

Ann Transl Med 2021 Apr;9(8):726

Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, University Hospital UKGM, Giessen, Germany.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) is rapidly becoming the most common cause of chronic liver disease in Western Countries, and a similar trend is expected in Eastern Countries within the next years. This review focusses on the definition of NAFLD and NASH, possible screening mechanisms and the question who should be screened. Still there is a need for non-invasive diagnostic tools and biomarkers for NASH that can quickly and easily diagnose the severity of NAFLD, monitor liver changes, and identify high risk patients. Read More

Ann Transl Med 2021 Apr;9(8):684

Gastroenterology Department, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan, China.

Background: Peroxisome proliferators-activated receptors γ (PPARγ) and secreted frizzled related protein 5 (SFRP5) are abnormally expressed in liver cells. But their role in the transformation of non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) remains to be studied. We aimed to explore the role of S-nitrosylation (SNO) in the conversion of NAFL to NASH via the peroxisome PPARγ/SFRP5 pathway. Read More

Ann Transl Med 2021 Apr;9(8):661

Department of Gastroenterology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, School of Clinical Medicine, Henan University, Zhengzhou, China.

Background: ENO3 expression is upregulated in Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patient tissues, demonstrated that ENO3 might play crucial roles in NAFLD. However, the mechanism of ENO3 in NAFLD remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the regulatory mechanism of ENO3 in the progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and NASH model. Read More

PeerJ 2021 3;9:e11346. Epub 2021 May 3.

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Jinling Hospital, the First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.

Backgrounds: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has multiple causes, is triggered by individual genetic susceptibility, environmental factors, and metabolic disturbances, and may be triggered by acquired metabolic stress. The metabolic profiles of NAFLD show significant ethnic differences, and the metabolic characteristics of NAFLD in Chinese individuals are unclear. Our study aimed to identify the metabolites and pathways associated with NAFLD in a Chinese cohort. Read More

Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes 2021 6;14:2029-2039. Epub 2021 May 6.

Department of Gastroenterolgy & Hepatology, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, 130033, People's Republic of China.

Objective: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), previously thought to predominantly affect obese individuals, has also been shown to occur in subjects who have a relatively normal body mass index (BMI). Due to the normal BMI, non-obese NAFLD are easily to be ignored and eventually lead to potential liver injuries.

Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 1608 cases with normal serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels who were divided into an obese group (BMI ≥25 kg/m) and a non-obese group (BMI <25 kg/m). Read More

Ultrasound Med Biol 2021 May 10. Epub 2021 May 10.

Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Dubrava, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.

We aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of new 2-D shear-wave elastography (SWE) with propagation maps and attenuation imaging (ATI) for quantification of fibrosis and steatosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Consecutive patients with NAFLD and healthy volunteers underwent liver stiffness measurement and steatosis quantification by means of vibration-controlled transient elastography coupled with the controlled attenuation parameter as the reference and by 2-D shear-wave elastography (2-D-SWE) with propagation maps and ATI as the investigational methods. We included 232 participants (164 in the NAFLD group and 68 in the healthy control group): 51. Read More

Nephrol Dial Transplant 2021 May 13. Epub 2021 May 13.

Department of Nephrology, University Hospital "12 de Octubre", Madrid, Spain.

Background: Increasing prevalence in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have influenced in an increasing prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Little is known about the influence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) on progression of CKD. The aim of this study was to analyse the role of NAFLD and its severity in the progression of renal function in patients with T2DM. Read More

Liver Int 2021 May 12. Epub 2021 May 12.

Gastroenterology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico di Modena, Largo del Pozzo, 71, 41125, Modena, Italy.

NAFLD/NASH is a sex dimorphic disease, with a general higher prevalence in men. Women are at reduced risk of NAFLD compared to men in fertile age, whereas after menopause women have a comparable prevalence of NAFLD as men. Indeed, sexual category, sex hormones and gender habits interact with numerous NAFLD factors including cytokines, stress, and environmental factors and alter the risk profiles and phenotypes of NAFLD. Read More

Obes Surg 2021 May 12. Epub 2021 May 12.

Department of Surgery-Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Rua Alexander Fleming, s/nº, Cidade Universitaria Zeferino Vaz, Campinas, SP, CEP 13085-000, Brazil.

Background: We hypothesize that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may be significantly associated with waist circumference (WC), neck circumference (NC), hip circumference (HC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).

Objectives: To analyze correlations between anthropometric parameters and the occurrence and intensity of NAFLD aspects assessed by histopathological examination in individuals undergoing bariatric surgery.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out in a tertiary university hospital. Read More

J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2021 May 13. Epub 2021 May 13.

Department of Internal Medicine, General Hospital Oberndorf, Teaching Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Oberndorf, Salzburg, Austria.

Context: Recently, the novel "metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease" (MAFLD) definition has been introduced.

Objective: To assess the relevance of MAFLD for mortality.

Design: Single-center cohort-study. Read More

Commun Biol 2021 May 12;4(1):564. Epub 2021 May 12.

Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.

The risks of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) include obese and non-obese stresses such as chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, but the regulatory determinants remain obscure. Apolipoprotein J (ApoJ) served as an ER-Golgi contact-site chaperone near lipid droplet (LD), facilitating HCV virion production. We hypothesized an interplay between hepatic ApoJ, cholesterol esterification and lipid deposit in response to NAFLD inducers. Read More

Diabetes 2021 May 12. Epub 2021 May 12.

Genetics of Complex Traits, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, RILD Level 3, Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, Barrack Road, Exeter, UK.

To understand the causal role of adiposity and ectopic fat in type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic diseases, we aimed to identify two clusters of adiposity genetic variants, one with 'adverse' metabolic effects (UFA) and the other with, paradoxically, 'favourable' metabolic effects (FA). We performed a multivariate genome-wide association study using body fat percentage and metabolic biomarkers from UK Biobank and identified 38 UFA and 36 FA variants. Adiposity-increasing alleles were associated with an adverse metabolic profile, higher risk of disease, higher CRP, higher fat in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue, liver and pancreas for UFA; and a favourable metabolic profile, lower risk of disease, higher CRP, higher subcutaneous adipose tissue but lower liver fat for FA. Read More

Zhonghua Gan Zang Bing Za Zhi 2021 Apr;29(4):356-361

Liver Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University; National Center for Clinical Medicine in Digestive Diseases, Beijing 100050, China.

To comparatively study the similarities and differences between the clinical, pathological, and risk factors of advanced fibrosis in men and women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). 267 patients with NAFLD diagnosed by liver biopsy were retrospectively included, and were divided into male and female groups. The difference of clinical and pathological indexes were compared between the two groups. Read More

Zhonghua Gan Zang Bing Za Zhi 2021 Apr;29(4):344-349

State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.

To investigate the proportion of hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who have received antiviral therapy and compare the clinical characteristics of HCC patients who have received antiviral therapy with those who have not received antiviral therapy. Data of 2590 newly diagnosed hepatitis B-related HCC cases who were hospitalized in Nanfang Hospital from 2015 to 2017 were collected. Two independent sample t-tests, Mann-Whitney U test, and (2) test were used to compare the clinical characteristics of hepatitis B-related HCC patients who had received antiviral therapy and those who had not received antiviral therapy. Read More

Minerva Gastroenterol (Torino) 2021 May 12. Epub 2021 May 12.

Clinical Nutrition Unit, and Internal Medicine Unit, Madonna del Soccorso General Hospital, San Benedetto del Tronto, Ascoli Piceno, Italy.

Background: Gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem of bacteria, viruses, archea, protozoa and yeasts in our intestine. It has several functions maintaining human body equilibrium. Microbial " dysbiosis " can be responsible for several gastrointestinal diseases. Read More

Food Funct 2021 May;12(9):3898-3918

Institute of Biomedical Research, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo, Shandong, China.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered the most common liver disease. Dietary supplementation has become a promising strategy for managing NAFLD. Hesperetin, a citrus flavonoid, is mainly found in citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit, and lemons) and possesses multiple pharmacological properties, including anti-cancer, anti-Alzheimer and anti-diabetic effects. Read More

Food Funct 2021 May;12(9):4021-4033

Department of Aquaculture, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316000, China.

Docosahexaenoic acid-enriched phosphatidylserine (DHA-PS) has attracted increasing attention because of its unique health benefits. In this study, DHA-PS was biosynthesized from DHA-enriched phosphatidylcholine (DHA-PC), which was extracted from herring roe, Clupea harengus. The ameliorating effect of DHA-PS on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was investigated using a mouse model. Read More

Int J Hepatol 2021 22;2021:6675762. Epub 2021 Apr 22.

Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University Durham, NC 27707, USA.

Autophagy is a conserved catabolic process that eliminates dysfunctional cytosolic biomolecules through vacuole-mediated sequestration and lysosomal degradation. Although the molecular mechanisms that regulate autophagy are not fully understood, recent work indicates that dysfunctional/impaired autophagic functions are associated with the development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Autophagy prevents NAFLD and AFLD progression through enhanced lipid catabolism and decreasing hepatic steatosis, which is characterized by the accumulation of triglycerides and increased inflammation. Read More

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2021 May 11. Epub 2021 May 11.

Division of Gastroenterology, NAFLD Research Center, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.

Background: Variants in multiple genetic loci modify the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cirrhosis but there are limited data on the quantitative impact of variant copies on liver fibrosis.

Aim: To investigate the effect of PNPLA3, TM6SF2, MBOAT7, GCKR and HSD17B13 genotype on liver fibrosis assessed by magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), a reproducible, accurate, continuous biomarker of liver fibrosis.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis derived from a well-characterised cohort at risk for NAFLD who underwent genotyping and MRE assessment. Read More

Free Radic Biol Med 2021 May 8. Epub 2021 May 8.

Centre for Obesity Research and Education (CORE), School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, UK. Electronic address:

Background And Aim: Obesity is a major risk factor for several diseases, including metabolic syndrome (MetS), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The use of natural products, such as astaxanthin (ASX), a potent antioxidant compound produced by the freshwater green microalga Haematococcus pluvialis, has gained particular interest to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, and to improve redox status, often associated with obesity. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to comprehensively examine the effects of ASX in animal models of diet induced obesity-associated diseases in order to inform the design of future human clinical studies for ASX use as supplement or nutraceutical. Read More

Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2021 May 11. Epub 2021 May 11.

Department of Preclinical Medicine, Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, China.

Alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) is the most common liver disease and can progress to fatal liver cirrhosis and carcinoma, affecting millions of patients worldwide. The functions of astragaloside on the cardiovascular system have been elucidated. However, its role in AFLD is unclear. Read More

Hepatology 2021 May 11. Epub 2021 May 11.

Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Animal models of human disease are a key component of translational hepatology research, and yet, there is no consensus on which model is optimal for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Here, we generated a database of 3,920 rodent models of NAFLD. Study designs were highly heterogeneous and, therefore, few models had been cited more than once. Read More

Nutr Metab (Lond) 2021 May 10;18(1):50. Epub 2021 May 10.

Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated as a significant factor in the liver disease process. Blueberry juice and probiotics (BP) synergistically improve liver function in alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD), although the mechanism for this effect was unclear. This study aims to investigate the effect and specific mechanisms of BP on AFLD. Read More

BMC Gastroenterol 2021 May 10;21(1):212. Epub 2021 May 10.

Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.

Background: Metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a new definition for liver disease associated with known metabolic dysfunction. Based on new diagnostic criteria, we aimed to investigate its prevalence and risk factors in Chinese population.

Methods: We conducted this study in a health examination population who underwent abdominal ultrasonography in China. Read More

BMC Gastroenterol 2021 May 10;21(1):215. Epub 2021 May 10.

Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58 Zhongshan II Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, China.

Background: The normalization of liver biochemical parameters usually reflects the histological response to treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Researchers have not clearly determined whether different liver enzymes exhibit various metabolic changes during the follow-up period in patients with NAFLD.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with NAFLD who were receiving therapy from January 2011 to December 2019. Read More

J Magn Reson Imaging 2021 May 10. Epub 2021 May 10.

Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.

Background: Alterations in glycolysis are central to the increasing incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), highlighting a need for in vivo, non-invasive technologies to understand the development of hepatic metabolic aberrations.

Purpose: To use hyperpolarized magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and proton density fat fraction (PDFF) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to investigate the effects of a chronic, life-long exposure to the Western diet (WD) in an animal model resulting in NAFLD; to investigate the hypothesis that exposure to the WD will result in NAFLD in association with altered pyruvate metabolism.

Study Type: Prospective. Read More

J Vis Exp 2021 Apr 20(170). Epub 2021 Apr 20.

Comparative Medicine, Pfizer Inc.;

Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) is a condition within the spectrum of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), which is characterized by liver fat accumulation (steatosis) and inflammation leading to fibrosis. Preclinical models closely recapitulating human NASH/NAFLD are essential in drug development. While liver biopsy is currently the gold standard for measuring NAFLD/NASH progression and diagnosis in the clinic, in the preclinical space, either collection of whole liver samples at multiple timepoints during a study or biopsy of liver is needed for histological analysis to assess the disease stage. Read More

Nutr Rev 2021 May 9. Epub 2021 May 9.

R. C. Skinner and J. A. Hagaman are with the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of the Ozarks, Clarksville, Arkansas, USA.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disease, the two most prevalent liver diseases worldwide, share a common pathology but have largely been considered disparate diseases. Liver diseases are widely underestimated, but their prevalence is increasing worldwide. The Western diet (high-fat, high-sugar) and binge drinking (rapid consumption of alcohol in a short period of time) are two highly prevalent features of standard life in the United States, and both are linked to the development and progression of liver disease. Read More