Non-invasive markers to predict the liver fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Background/Aim: The aim of this study was to find a non-invasive marker, which could predict liver fibrosis without the need of liver biopsy in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Methods: Fifty patients were included. All patients had one or more conditions that characterize the metabolic syndrome and histological proven NASH. Hyaluronic acid (HA), leptin (LT) and laminin (LN) were determined from serum withdrawn at the day of biopsy. Results: Patients were divided into two groups according to the histological findings. The first group consisted of 23 patients with NASH and fibrosis and the second group had 27 patients with NASH, ballooned cells, without fibrosis. Subjects with NASH and fibrosis had statistically significantly higher HA and LN than those with NASH without fibrosis, P < 0.001, respectively. In contrast, there was no statistically significant difference between the levels of serum LT in the two groups. The stage of liver fibrosis in the 23 patients of group 1 was related only to the values of hyaluronic acid (P < 0.001) and not to the ones of LT and LN. Conclusions: Measurement of hyaluronic acid could be a predictive factor of the presence and stage of liver fibrosis in NASH. LN could be used to diagnose liver fibrosis but has no value in staging.