Nutritional Sciences Division, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK.
Proc Nutr Soc. 2010 May;69(2):211-20. doi: 10.1017/S0029665110000030. Epub 2010 Feb 17.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now the most common liver disease in both adults and children worldwide. As a disease spectrum, NAFLD may progress from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis, advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. An estimated 20-35% of the general population has steatosis, 10% of whom will develop the more progressive non-alcoholic steatohepatitis associated with markedly increased risk of cardiovascular- and liver-related mortality. Development of NAFLD is strongly linked to components of the metabolic syndrome including obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia and type 2 diabetes. The recognition that NAFLD is an independent risk factor for CVD is a major public health concern. There is a great need for a sensitive non-invasive test for the early detection and assessment of the stage of NAFLD that could also be used to monitor response to treatment. The cellular and molecular aetiology of NAFLD is multi-factorial; genetic polymorphisms influencing NAFLD have been identified and nutrition is a modifiable environmental factor influencing NAFLD progression. Weight loss through diet and exercise is the primary recommendation in the clinical management of NAFLD. The application of systems biology to the identification of NAFLD biomarkers and factors involved in NAFLD progression is an area of promising research.
非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD）现已成为全世界成年人和儿童最常见的肝脏疾病。作为一种疾病谱，NAFLD 可能从单纯性脂肪变性进展为脂肪性肝炎、晚期纤维化和肝硬化。据估计，一般人群中有 20-35%患有脂肪变性，其中 10%将发展为更具进展性的非酒精性脂肪性肝炎，其与心血管和肝脏相关死亡率的显著增加相关。NAFLD 的发生与代谢综合征的成分密切相关，包括肥胖、胰岛素抵抗、血脂异常和 2 型糖尿病。认识到 NAFLD 是 CVD 的一个独立危险因素是一个主要的公共卫生关注点。非常需要一种敏感的非侵入性检测方法来早期发现和评估 NAFLD 的阶段，也可以用于监测治疗反应。NAFLD 的细胞和分子病因是多因素的；已经确定了影响 NAFLD 的遗传多态性，营养是影响 NAFLD 进展的可改变环境因素。通过饮食和运动减肥是非酒精性脂肪性肝病临床管理的主要建议。将系统生物学应用于 NAFLD 生物标志物和 NAFLD 进展相关因素的鉴定是一个很有前途的研究领域。
