The Spontaneous Course of Liver Enzymes and Its Correlation in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 03/23/2012  Clinical Article

Charatcharoenwitthaya P et al. – Liver enzyme levels and aminotransferase activity are insensitive tools to follow changes in liver histological features in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). These data should be taken into consideration in patient counseling and monitoring, and in the design of future therapeutic trials.

• Follow-up data were prospectively collected for 2 years in 73 untreated patients with NAFLD.
• Liver enzymes were measured every 3 months, and liver biopsy repeated at 2 years.

• A significant improvement in serum levels of aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase, and γ-glutamyltransferase levels, and a significant decrease in albumin levels occurred with no significant change in body weight over the 2 years.
• During this period, alanine aminotransferase levels were persistently elevated in 68% of patients, fluctuated between normal and elevated in 22% of patients, and normalized in 10% of patients.
• There was no clear-cut correlation between the pattern of alanine aminotransferase levels and changes in steatosis, inflammation, hepatocyte ballooning, or fibrosis stage over time.