Abstract

KeypointsObesity and NAFLD/NASH are commonly accompanied by inflammation.We tested if serum hs-CRP is associated with indices of NAFLD/NASH and liver fibrosis in morbidly obese patients.hs-CRP was significantly associated with any degree of histologically diagnosed liver damage. BackgroundInflammation is critical in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). hs-CRP, an inflammatory marker, is considered one of the prognostic predictors of hepatic damage progression in NAFLD in some studies.MethodsWe assessed the concordance of hs-CRP concentrations and liver steatosis, steatohepatitis, and fibrosis based on elastography, sonography and liver biopsy findings in patients with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery.ResultsAmong 90 patients, 56.7 showed steatohepatitis and 8.9 severe fibrosis. Hs-CRP were significantly associated with liver histology in an adjusted regression model (OR 1.155, 95 CI 1.029-1.297, p = 0.014; OR 1.155, 1.029-1.297, p = 0.014; OR 1.130, 1.017-1.257, p = 0.024 for steatosis, steatohepatitis, and fibrosis, respectively). The ROC curve, a cutoff of hs-CRP = 7 mg/L, showed a reasonable specificity (76) for detecting biopsy-proven fibrosis and steatosis.Conclusionhs-CRP was associated with any degree of histologically diagnosed liver damage, and it had a reasonable specificity for predicting biopsy-proven steatosis and fibrosis in obese individuals. Further studies are needed to identify non-invasive biomarkers that could predict NALFD progression due to the relevant health risks linked to liver fibrosis.