Baseline characteristics of patients with persistent nALT stratified by NASH status
| Overall (n=105) | Non-NASH (n=52) | NASH (n=53) | P value | |
| Clinical parameters | ||||
| Female sex, n (%) | 38 (36.2) | 16 (30.8) | 22 (41.5) | 0.346 |
| Age, years | 45.5±11.6 | 46.2±9.5 | 44.9±13.4 | 0.571 |
| WCC, ×109/L | 5.80±1.12 | 5.76±1.17 | 5.84±1.09 | 0.735 |
| RBC, ×1012/L | 4.78±0.44 | 4.80±0.46 | 4.76±0.41 | 0.626 |
| PLT, ×109/L | 249.72±55.50 | 246.44±48.22 | 252.94±62.13 | 0.551 |
| MPV, fL | 10.87±0.92 | 10.99±0.79 | 10.76±1.02 | 0.197 |
| SDPV, fL | 13.48±2.09 | 13.88±1.95 | 13.09±2.18 | 0.055 |
| Albumin, g/L | 45.43±4.50 | 45.27±3.10 | 45.59±5.58 | 0.715 |
| ALT, U/L | 27.70±7.77 | 26.88±8.07 | 28.49±7.45 | 0.292 |
| AST, U/L | 25.77±6.75 | 24.02±3.88 | 27.49±8.39 | 0.008 |
| ALP, U/L | 83.96±45.57 | 81.06±24.40 | 86.81±59.60 | 0.520 |
| GGT, U/L | 43.98±34.37 | 41.08±27.35 | 46.83±40.15 | 0.394 |
| Fasting glucose, mmol/L | 5.91±1.74 | 5.61±1.36 | 6.21±2.01 | 0.080 |
| BUN, mmol/L | 4.90±1.34 | 4.82±1.09 | 4.98±1.55 | 0.539 |
| Creatinine, μmol/L | 66.17±15.22 | 68.25±13.77 | 64.13±16.39 | 0.167 |
| Uric acid, μmol/L | 364.00±90.37 | 368.27±89.92 | 359.81±91.48 | 0.634 |
| Total cholesterol, mmol/L | 4.84±1.15 | 4.90±1.03 | 4.79±1.26 | 0.622 |
| Triglycerides, mmol/L | 2.27±1.69 | 2.30±1.92 | 2.24±1.43 | 0.859 |
| HDL cholesterol, mmol/L | 1.04±0.23 | 1.01±0.23 | 1.06±0.22 | 0.243 |
| LDL cholesterol, mmol/L | 2.86±0.95 | 2.91±0.90 | 2.80±0.99 | 0.579 |
| GP73, ng/mL | 70.45±29.88 | 64.59±22.07 | 76.20±35.21 | 0.046 |
| CK18-M30, U/L | 102.21±88.79 | 95.76±55.88 | 108.02±110.67 | 0.504 |
| Zinc, μmol/L | 18.24±3.98 | 17.46±3.61 | 19.05±4.24 | 0.075 |
| Thyroxine, nmol/L | 105.93±19.24 | 103.50±14.29 | 108.32±22.99 | 0.201 |
| HbA1c, % | 6.28±1.53 | 6.12±1.60 | 6.45±1.46 | 0.281 |
| Fasting insulin, pmol/L | 132.76±153.19 | 125.66±169.29 | 139.86±136.49 | 0.639 |
| HOMA-IR | 5.99±9.70 | 5.48±10.05 | 6.51±9.41 | 0.592 |
| AFP, ng/mL | 2.94±1.60 | 2.96±1.90 | 2.91±1.24 | 0.877 |
| Ferritin, μg/L | 243.25±178.13 | 214.96±172.49 | 272.52±182.12 | 0.218 |
| Type III procollagen, ng/mL | 18.21±4.77 | 17.30±4.54 | 19.13±4.86 | 0.050 |
| Type IV collagen, ng/mL | 18.00±4.80 | 17.11±4.31 | 18.90±5.14 | 0.057 |
| Hyaluronic acid, ng/mL | 47.74±19.22 | 44.20±13.93 | 51.28±22.94 | 0.060 |
| Comorbid diseases, n (%) | ||||
| Diabetes | 38 (36.2) | 16 (30.8) | 22 (41.5) | 0.346 |
| Metabolic syndrome | 55 (54.5) | 25 (50.0) | 30 (58.8) | 0.49 |
| Hypertension | 37 (35.2) | 19 (36.5) | 18 (34.0) | 0.943 |
| Dyslipidemia | 92 (88.5) | 48 (92.3) | 44 (84.6) | 0.357 |
| Hyperuricemia | 24 (22.9) | 12 (23.1) | 12 (22.6) | 0.999 |
| Obesity BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2 | 47 (44.8) | 22 (42.3) | 35 (47.2) | 0.761 |
| Obesity BMI ≥30 kg/m2 | 11 (10.5) | 3 (5.8) | 8 (15.1) | 0.214 |
| Anthropometry | ||||
| Waist circumference, cm | 89.87±8.85 | 88.57±9.41 | 91.12±8.18 | 0.148 |
| Hip circumference, cm | 97.57±7.50 | 96.38±7.20 | 98.72±7.67 | 0.115 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 26.05±3.33 | 25.63±3.26 | 26.47±3.38 | 0.195 |
| Liver histology | ||||
| Steatosis, n (%) | <0.001 | |||
| 1 | 75 (71.4) | 51 (98.1) | 24 (45.3) | |
| 2 | 18 (17.1) | 1 (1.9) | 17 (32.1) | |
| 3 | 12 (11.4) | 0 (0.0) | 12 (22.6) | |
| Hepatocyte ballooning, n (%) | <0.001 | |||
| 0 | 5 (4.8) | 5 (9.6) | 0 (0.0) | |
| 1 | 61 (58.1) | 46 (88.5) | 15 (28.3) | |
| 2 | 39 (37.1) | 1 (1.9) | 38 (71.7) | |
| Lobular inflammation, n (%) | <0.001 | |||
| 0 | 10 (9.5) | 10 (19.2) | 0 (0.0) | |
| 1 | 84 (80.0) | 42 (80.8) | 42 (79.2) | |
| 2 | 10 (9.5) | 0 (0.0) | 10 (18.9) | |
| 3 | 1 (1.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.9) | |
| Fibrosis, n (%) | 0.156 | |||
| 0 | 42 (40.0) | 24 (46.2) | 18 (34.0) | |
| 1 | 37 (35.2) | 20 (38.5) | 17 (32.1) | |
| 2 | 21 (20.0) | 7 (13.5) | 14 (26.4) | |
| 3 | 5 (4.8) | 1 (1.9) | 4 (7.5) | |
| 4 | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
Continuous variables are presented as mean±SD; categorical variables are presented as n (%).
P values <0.05 are in bold.
AFP, alpha-fetoprotein; ALP, alkaline phosphatase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; BMI, body mass index; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; CK18-M30, cytokeratin-18 M30 fragments; GGT, gamma-glutamyl transferase; GP73, Golgi protein 73; HbA1c, hemoglobin A1c; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; HOMA-IR, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; MPV, mean platelet volume; nALT, normal ALT; NASH, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; PLT, platelet; RBC, red blood cell; SDPV, SD of platelet volume; WCC, white cell count.