PERIPHERAL BLOOD ENDOTOXIN LEVELS ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH SMALL INTESTINAL BACTERIAL OVERGROWTH IN NONALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE WITHOUT CIRRHOSIS.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common forms of chronic liver disease worldwide. Approximately 20% of individuals with NAFLD develop nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is associated with increased risk of cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Intestinal microflora, including small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), appear to play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease, as demonstrated in several clinical and experimental studies, by altering intestinal permeability and allowing bacterial endotoxins to enter the circulation.

Association of polymorphisms of glutamate-cystein ligase and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein genes in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background And Aims: Although the metabolic risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progression have been recognized, the role of genetic susceptibility remains a field to be explored. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of two polymorphisms in Brazilian patients with biopsy-proven simple steatosis or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): -493 G/T in the MTP gene, which codes the protein responsible for transferring triglycerides to nascent apolipoprotein B, and -129 C/T in the GCLC gene, which codes the catalytic subunit of glutamate-cystein ligase in the formation of glutathione.

Methods: One hundred and thirty-one biopsy-proven NAFLD patients (n = 45, simple steatosis; n = 86, NASH) and 141 unrelated healthy volunteers were evaluated.