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Prevalence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in Japanese patients with morbid obesity undergoing bariatric surgery

  • Original Article—Liver, Pancreas, and Biliary Tract
  • Published:
Journal of Gastroenterology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Patients with morbid obesity selected for bariatric surgery have a high prevalence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); however, the incidence is varied and depends on race. The prevalence of NASH in obese Japanese patients is unknown. We evaluated the prevalence of NASH in a prospective cohort of Japanese patients with morbid obesity.

Methods

From October 2009 to July 2011, consecutive patients requiring bariatric surgery underwent a liver biopsy during the operation. The indications for bariatric surgery followed the guidelines of the Asia–Pacific Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Society.

Results

One hundred two patients (55 males and 47 females, age 42.7 ± 10.7 years) were analyzed. The mean body mass index was 42.1 ± 8.2 kg/m2. Among the 102 patients, 84 patients (82.4 %) had nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and 79 patients (77.5 %) had NASH. The grading and staging of NASH by Brunt’s classification were as follows: grade 0 steatosis, one patient; grade 1 steatosis, 35 patients; grade 2 steatosis, 32 patients; grade 3 steatosis, 11 patients; stage 1 fibrosis, 25 patients; stage 2 fibrosis, 38 patients; stage 3 fibrosis, 16 patients, stage 4 fibrosis, no patients. The body weight, waist–hip ratio, visceral fat area, and aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, fasting plasma glucose, fasting plasma insulin, C peptide, hemoglobin A1c, and homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance levels were significantly elevated in the NASH group in comparison with the non-NASH group. The platelet count was significantly decreased in the NASH group. The waist–hip ratio and the alanine aminotransferase, fasting plasma glucose, and homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance levels were found to be independent predictors of NASH in a multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

The prevalence of NASH was 77.5 % in this prospective Japanese cohort. The prevalence of NASH in Japanese morbidly obese patients was extremely high, and early intervention should be undertaken.

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Abbreviations

ALT:

Alanine aminotransferase

BMI:

Body mass index

HAIR:

Hypertension, alanine aminotransferase, and insulin resistance

HOMA-IR:

Homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance

NAFLD:

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

NASH:

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

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Correspondence to Satoru Kakizaki.

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Seki, Y., Kakizaki, S., Horiguchi, N. et al. Prevalence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in Japanese patients with morbid obesity undergoing bariatric surgery. J Gastroenterol 51, 281–289 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-015-1114-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-015-1114-8

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