Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 1st Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Basic and Translational Research Unit, Special Unit for Biomedical Research and Education, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Aug 12;24(16):12717. doi: 10.3390/ijms241612717.
Patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) show significantly faster progress in the stages of fibrosis compared to those with non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) disease. The non-invasive diagnosis of NASH remains an unmet clinical need. Preliminary data have shown that sphingolipids, especially ceramides, fatty acids, and other lipid classes may be related to the presence of NASH and the histological activity of the disease. The aim of our study was to assess the association of certain plasma lipid classes, such as fatty acids, acylcarnitines, and ceramides, with the histopathological findings in patients with NASH. The study included three groups: patients with NASH (N = 12), NAFL (N = 10), and healthy [non non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)] controls (N = 15). Plasma samples were collected after 12 h of fasting, and targeted analyses for fatty acids, acylcarnitines, and ceramides were performed. Baseline clinical and demographic characteristics were collected. There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics across the three groups or between NAFL and NASH patients. Patients with NASH had increased levels of several fatty acids, including, among others, fatty acid (FA) 14:0, FA 15:0, FA 18:0, FA 18:3n3, as well as Cer(d18:1/16:0), compared to NAFL patients and healthy controls. No significant difference was found between NAFL patients and healthy controls. In conclusion, patients with NASH exhibited a distinctive plasma lipid profile that can differentiate them from NAFL patients and non-NAFLD populations. More data from larger cohorts are needed to validate these findings and examine possible implications for diagnostic and management strategies of the disease.
非酒精性脂肪性肝炎 (NASH) 患者的纤维化阶段进展明显快于非酒精性脂肪肝 (NAFL) 患者。NASH 的非侵入性诊断仍然是一个未满足的临床需求。初步数据表明，神经酰胺等鞘脂类，以及脂肪酸和其他脂质类，可能与 NASH 的存在以及疾病的组织学活动有关。我们的研究旨在评估某些血浆脂质类，如脂肪酸、酰基辅酶 A 和神经酰胺，与 NASH 患者组织病理学发现之间的相关性。该研究包括三组：NASH 患者（N = 12）、NAFL 患者（N = 10）和健康[非非酒精性脂肪性肝病 (NAFLD)]对照者（N = 15）。采集空腹 12 小时后的血浆样本，并进行脂肪酸、酰基辅酶 A 和神经酰胺的靶向分析。收集基线临床和人口统计学特征。三组之间或 NAFL 和 NASH 患者之间的基线特征无显著差异。与 NAFL 患者和健康对照者相比，NASH 患者的几种脂肪酸水平升高，包括脂肪酸 (FA) 14:0、FA 15:0、FA 18:0、FA 18:3n3 以及 Cer(d18:1/16:0)。NAFL 患者和健康对照者之间没有发现显著差异。结论：与 NAFL 患者和非 NAFLD 人群相比，NASH 患者表现出独特的血浆脂质谱，可以将其区分开来。需要更大的队列数据来验证这些发现，并检查其对疾病的诊断和管理策略的可能影响。
