Plasma cathepsin D correlates with histological classifications of fatty liver disease in adults and responds to intervention.

ABSTRACT: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by liver lipid accumulation and inflammation. The mechanisms that trigger hepatic inflammation are poorly understood and subsequently, no specific non-invasive markers exist. We previously demonstrated a reduction in the plasma lysosomal enzyme, cathepsin D (CatD), in children with NASH compared to children without NASH. Recent studies have raised the concept that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adults is distinct from children due to a different histological pattern in the liver. Yet, the link between plasma CatD to adult NASH was not examined. In the current manuscript, we investigated whether plasma CatD in adults correlates with NASH development and regression. Biopsies were histologically evaluated for inflammation and

SUBMITTER: Walenbergh SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5138820 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature