Biochemical Parameters as Predictors of Underlying Liver Disease in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disorders.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly common cause of chronic liver disease and is becoming a major public health problem. NAFLD has been recognized as a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome, associated with systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the role of serum LFT parameters and renal function parameters as predictors of unmanifested liver disease.

Methods: In this study, the presence of possible liver disease detected by biochemical parameters and confirmed by Transient Liver Elastography (TE) in a group of patients with different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) was investigated. Patients with various stages of CKD were divided into five subgroups regarding aetiology: nephroangiosclerosis, diabetic nephropathy, glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis, autoimmune kidney disease, and polycystic and another morphological kidney disease. Liver stiffness was used to quantify liver fibrosis while Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) was used to quantify liver steatosis. Functional liver tests and biochemical parameters of kidney function were measured in all patients.

Results: Statistical analysis used in this study was a decision tree as a predictive model to map observed variables resulting in the conclusion about outcomes. The application of existing laboratory parameters, in combination with other parameters in presence of the defined etiological factors of kidneys diseases, indicate development of hepatic diseases. Higher values of phosphorus and low values of ferritin in patients with autoimmune kidney disease, and polycystic and another morphological kidney disease, expresses steatosis of the hepatic parenchyma.

Conclusion: In contrary, low values of phosphorus and higher values of ferritin in patients with nephroangiosclerosis, diabetic nephropathy, glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis, are in a favour steatosis of the hepatic parenchyma. Serum values of phosphorus and ferritin are valuable predictors of the liver disease in patients with end-stage kidney diseases of different aetiology.