The role of leptin in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: The role of steatosis in the pathogenesis of chronic liver disease (CLD) is now believed to form part of a continuum in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). One of the unconventional areas in which leptin is now receiving great attention is liver diseases. Several published studies indicate that circulating leptin is increased in patients with cirrhosis, chronic HCV, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).