Minireviews
Copyright ©2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 7, 2013; 19(25): 3951-3956
Published online Jul 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i25.3951
Exposure to ambient air particulate matter and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Giovanni Tarantino, Domenico Capone, Carmine Finelli
Giovanni Tarantino, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University Medical School of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy
Giovanni Tarantino, INT “Fondazione Pascale” - Cancer Research Center of Mercogliano, 83013 Mercogliano, Italy
Domenico Capone, Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience, Federico II University Medical School of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy
Carmine Finelli, Center of Obesity and Eating Disorders, Stella Maris Mediterraneum Foundation, C/da S. Lucia, Chiaromonte, 80035 Potenza, Italy
Author contributions: Tarantino G designed research and analyzed data; Finelli C performed research of literature data and wrote the paper; Capone D critically revised the paper.
Correspondence to: Giovanni Tarantino, MD, Professor, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University Medical School of Naples, Via Sergio Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy. tarantin@unina.it
Telephone: +39-81-7462024 Fax: +39-81-5466154
Received: February 25, 2013
Revised: April 7, 2013
Accepted: June 1, 2013
Published online: July 7, 2013
Processing time: 130 Days and 18.5 Hours
Abstract

The present study was designed to alert the public opinion and policy makers on the supposed enhancing effects of exposure to ambient air particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters < 2.5 mm (PM2.5) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common chronic liver disease in Western countries. For far too long literature data have been fixated on pulmonary diseases and/or cardiovascular disease, as consequence of particulate exposure, ignoring the link between the explosion of obesity with related syndromes such as NAFLD and air pollution, the worst characteristics of nowadays civilization. In order to delineate a clear picture of this major health problem, further studies should investigate whether and at what extent cigarette smoking and exposure to ambient air PM2.5 impact the natural history of patients with obesity-related NAFLD, i.e., development of non alcoholic steatohepatitis, disease characterized by a worse prognosis due its progression towards fibrosis and hepatocarcinoma.

Keywords: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters < 2.5 μm; Cytochrome P-450; Reactive oxygen species

Core tip: Important arguments Diesel exhaust particles are known to be major constituents of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) in metropolitan areas. Exposure to PM is positively associated with increases in the morbidity and daily mortality. Obesity-related health complications include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Exposure to ambient air PM may induce/worsen NAFLD.