Kimura T, Tanaka N, Fujimori N, Sugiura A, Yamazaki T, Joshita S, Komatsu M, Umemura T, Matsumoto A, Tanaka E. Mild drinking habit is a risk factor for hepatocarcinogenesis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with advanced fibrosis. World J Gastroenterol 2018; 24(13): 1440-1450 [PMID: 29632425 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i13.1440]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Naoki Tanaka, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Doctor, Department of Metabolic Regulation, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine and Research Center for Agricultural Food Industry, Shinshu University, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan. naopi@shinshu-u.ac.jp
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Retrospective Study
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 7, 2018; 24(13): 1440-1450 Published online Apr 7, 2018. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i13.1440
Table 1 Comparison of clinicopathological features at the time of biopsy between mild drinking and non-drinking groups
Mild drinking group (n = 93)
Non-drinking group (n = 208)
P value
Age (yr)
55 (19-77)
56 (10-84)
0.50
Male
52 (56)
84 (40)
0.01
Body mass index (kg/m2)
26.5 (18.3-40.0)
26.2 (17.8-41.0)
0.53
Co-existing disease
Diabetes mellitus
32 (34)
78 (38)
0.57
Hypertension
41 (44)
81 (39)
0.44
Hyperlipidemia
55 (59)
135 (66)
0.29
Laboratory data
Albumin (mg/dL)
4.5 (3.2-5.4)
4.5 (3.0-5.2)
0.48
Total bilirubin (mg/dL)
0.91 (0.40-2.20)
0.86 (0.38-2.64)
0.12
Aspartate aminotransferase (IU/L)
44 (20-175)
47 (13-263)
0.80
Alanine aminotransferase (IU/L)
68 (22-237)
67 (13-522)
0.74
Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (IU/L)
69 (19-400)
54 (7-544)
0.02
Cholinesterase (IU/L)
363 (171-586)
384 (189-591)
0.05
Fasting blood sugar (mg/dL)
106 (84-215)
108 (77-221)
0.63
HOMA-IR
3.4 (1.0-42.6)
3.3 (0.3-24.5)
0.58
HbA1c (%)
5.9 (5.1-9.8)
6.0 (4.9-12.3)
0.21
Total cholesterol (mg/dL)
205 (138-336)
208 (70-295)
0.68
Triglyceride (mg/dL)
115 (42-404)
133 (32-801)
0.14
Platelet (×104/μL)
21.1 (5.3-45.4)
22.1 (7.2-40.7)
0.04
Hyaluronic acid (ng/mL)
43 (12-320)
49 (9-1611)
0.57
Type IV collagen 7s (ng/mL)
4.3 (2-20)
4.5 (2-11)
0.93
Alpha-fetoprotein (ng/mL)
3.3 (0.7-13.5)
3.0 (0.7-20.3)
0.41
Pathology
Steatosis
0.86
1
33 (36)
64 (31)
2
36 (39)
90 (43)
3
24 (26)
54 (26)
Lobular inflammation
0.14
0
5 (5)
8 (4)
1
47 (51)
83 (40)
2
37 (40)
95 (46)
3
4 (4)
22 (11)
Ballooning
0.82
0
18 (19)
41 (20)
1
50 (54)
118 (57)
2
25 (27)
49 (24)
NAFLD activity score
0.79
1
4 (4)
5 (2)
2
8 (9)
16 (8)
3
16 (17)
34 (16)
4
17 (18)
32 (15)
5
25 (27)
62 (30)
6
14 (15)
36 (17)
7
9 (10)
18 (9)
8
0 (0)
5 (2)
Fibrosis
0.39
0
17 (18)
40 (19)
1
39 (42)
93 (45)
2
10 (11)
25 (12)
3
18 (19)
42 (20)
4
9 (10)
8 (4)
Fibrosis 3-4 (Advanced fibrosis)
27 (29)
50 (24)
0.36
Fibrosis 4 (Cirrhosis)
9 (10)
8 (4)
0.04
Table 2 Comparison of clinicopathological features at the time of biopsy between hepatocellular carcinoma and non- hepatocellular carcinoma groups
HCC group (n = 9)
Non-HCC group (n = 292)
P value
Age (yr)
65 (56-84)
55 (10-81)
< 0.01
Male
3 (33)
133 (46)
0.52
Body mass index (kg/m2)
26.0 (18.3-28.7)
26.2 (17.8-41.0)
0.23
Drinking habit
6 (67)
87 (30)
0.02
Co-existing disease
Diabetes mellitus
8 (89)
102 (35)
< 0.01
Hypertension
9 (100)
113 (39)
< 0.01
Hyperlipidemia
3 (33)
187 (65)
0.06
Laboratory data
Albumin (mg/dL)
4.0 (3.7-4.6)
4.5 (3.0-5.4)
< 0.01
Total bilirubin (mg/dL)
0.91 (0.44-1.61)
0.88 (0.38-2.64)
0.75
Aspartate aminotransferase (IU/L)
52 (32-95)
46 (13-263)
0.71
Alanine aminotransferase (IU/L)
53 (16-132)
68 (13-522)
0.11
Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (IU/L)
65 (28-192)
56 (7-544)
0.48
Cholinesterase (IU/L)
249 (190-434)
380 (171-591)
< 0.01
Fasting blood sugar (mg/dL)
133 (84-172)
106 (77-221)
0.13
HOMA-IR
5.8 (1.2-9.8)
3.3 (0.3-42.6)
0.18
HbA1c (%)
6.6 (6.0-7.0)
5.9 (4.9-12.3)
0.01
Total cholesterol (mg/dL)
176 (153-264)
208 (70-336)
0.02
Triglyceride (mg/dL)
85 (64-140)
130 (32-801)
0.02
Platelet (×104/μL)
11.0 (6.4-18.6)
22.0 (5.3-45.4)
< 0.01
Hyaluronic acid (ng/mL)
42 (17-263)
42 (9-1180)
0.96
Type IV collagen 7s (ng/mL)
5.6 (4.7-8.4)
4.4 (2.0-20.0)
0.03
Alpha-fetoprotein (ng/mL)
6.0 (3.7-20.3)
3.0 (0.7-13.2)
< 0.01
Pathology
Steatosis
0.01
1
7 (78)
90 (31)
2
2 (22)
124 (43)
3
0 (0)
78 (27)
Lobular inflammation
0.21
0
0 (0)
13 (4)
1
2 (22)
128 (44)
2
7 (78)
125 (43)
3
0 (0)
26 (9)
Ballooning
0.76
0
1 (11)
58 (20)
1
6 (67)
162 (56)
2
2 (22)
72 (25)
NAFLD activity score
0.53
1
0 (0)
9 (3)
2
0 (0)
24 (8)
3
3 (33)
47 (16)
4
2 (22)
47 (16)
5
4 (44)
83 (28)
6
0 (0)
50 (17)
7
0 (0)
27 (9)
8
0 (0)
5 (2)
Fibrosis
< 0.01
0
0 (0)
57 (20)
1
0 (0)
132 (45)
2
0 (0)
35 (12)
3
4 (44)
56 (19)
4
5 (56)
12 (4)
Table 3 Factors related to hepatic carcinogenesis by multivariate survival analysis using Cox's regression model for all patients
P value
Relative risk
95%CI
Fibrosis
< 0.01
11.6
2.36-56.9
Diabetes mellitus
< 0.01
89.5
6.01-1331.2
Triglyceride
0.04
0.98
0.95-0.99
Drinking habit
0.07
4.43
0.88-22.4
Table 4 Comparison of clinicopathological features at the time of biopsy between hepatocellular carcinoma and non- hepatocellular carcinoma groups in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients with advanced fibrosis (F3-4)
HCC group (n = 9)
Non-HCC group (n = 68)
P value
Age (yr)
65 (56-84)
64 (30-81)
0.32
Male
3 (33)
14 (21)
0.39
Body mass index (kg/m2)
26.0 (18.3-28.7)
27.7 (20.1-41.0)
0.05
Drinking habit
6 (67)
21 (31)
0.03
Co-existing disease
Diabetes mellitus
8 (89)
32 (47)
0.02
Hypertension
9 (100)
38 (56)
0.01
Hyperlipidemia
3 (33)
35 (52)
0.31
Laboratory data
Albumin (mg/dL)
4.0 (3.7-4.6)
4.3 (3.2-5.0)
0.07
Total bilirubin (mg/dL)
0.91 (0.44-1.61)
0.91 (0.48-2.15)
0.99
Aspartate aminotransferase (IU/L)
52 (32-95)
63 (20-200)
0.13
Alanine aminotransferase (IU/L)
53 (16-132)
71 (19-298)
0.09
Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (IU/L)
65 (28-192)
65 (25-205)
0.75
Cholinesterase (IU/L)
249 (190-434)
345 (171-467)
0.02
Fasting blood sugar (mg/dL)
133 (84-172)
110 (82-215)
0.30
HOMA-IR
5.8 (1.2-9.8)
4.3 (1.1-15.6)
0.54
HbA1c (%)
6.6 (6.0-7.0)
6.1 (5.0-10.9)
0.14
Total cholesterol (mg/dL)
176 (153-264)
201 (131-294)
0.10
Triglyceride (mg/dL)
85 (64-140)
119 (42-351)
0.03
Platelet (×104/μL)
11.0 (6.4-18.6)
16.6 (5.3-32.6)
< 0.01
Hyaluronic acid (ng/mL)
42 (17-263)
59 (11-1180)
0.45
Type IV collagen 7s (ng/mL)
5.6 (4.7-8.4)
6.8 (3.5-20.0)
0.61
Alpha-fetoprotein (ng/mL)
6.0 (3.7-20.3)
5.0 (1.1-11.3)
0.04
Pathology
Steatosis
0.07
1
7 (78)
26 (38)
2
2 (22)
32 (47)
3
0 (0)
10 (15)
Lobular inflammation
0.45
0
0 (0)
1 (2)
1
2 (22)
17 (25)
2
7 (78)
37 (54)
3
0 (0)
13 (19)
Ballooning
0.76
0
1 (11)
1 (2)
1
6 (67)
34 (50)
2
2 (22)
33 (49)
NAFLD activity score
0.25
1
0 (0)
1 (2)
2
0 (0)
1 (2)
3
3 (33)
5 (7)
4
2 (22)
10 (15)
5
4 (44)
26 (38)
6
0 (0)
16 (24)
7
0 (0)
8 (12)
8
0 (0)
1 (2)
Table 5 Factors related to hepatic carcinogenesis by multivariate survival analysis using Cox's regression model for patients with advanced fibrosis (F3-4)
P value
Relative risk
95%CI
Drinking habit
0.04
4.83
1.01-23.00
Alpha-fetoprotein
0.01
1.23
1.04-1.44
Diabetes mellitus
0.03
12.00
1.20-119.66
Citation: Kimura T, Tanaka N, Fujimori N, Sugiura A, Yamazaki T, Joshita S, Komatsu M, Umemura T, Matsumoto A, Tanaka E. Mild drinking habit is a risk factor for hepatocarcinogenesis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with advanced fibrosis. World J Gastroenterol 2018; 24(13): 1440-1450