Vol. 1, Issue 1, Part A (2017)

Background and Objective: There is a strong correlation between obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), making it one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease globally. It starts with basic hepatic steatosis and progresses to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer. The purpose of this research was to examine biochemical markers of liver damage in NAFLD patients and determine their pattern and importance.

Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 60 adult patients identified with NAFLD using clinical assessment and ultrasonography. The research was carried out in the department of Biochemistry, Madha Medical College and Research Institute, located at Kovur, Mangadu, Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, from March 2016 to February 2017. Individuals with alcohol use, viral hepatitis, or other chronic hepatic conditions were excluded. Blood samples were obtained to assess blood concentrations of ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, bilirubin, and fasting lipid profile.

Results: There were 63.3% males and 36.7% females among the 60 patients, with an average age of 46.3±10.2 years. Seventy percent of patients had elevated ALT levels and sixty percent had elevated AST values. In 20% of instances, the AST/ALT ratio was less than 1, which could indicate steatohepatitis. Forty-five percent of patients had elevated GGT and thirty percent had elevated ALP. There were notable correlations between higher ALT levels and an increase in BMI (p<0.01) and lipid levels (p<0.05). The observation of a significant correlation between GGT and fasting blood glucose levels (r=0.41, p<0.01) further supports the idea that there is a connection between metabolic disturbance and hepatic damage.

Conclusion: Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have metabolic abnormalities and high levels of biochemical markers, especially ALT, AST, and GGT. The significance of routinely monitoring liver function in people at risk for metabolic syndrome cannot be overstated, as it allows for early detection and intervention in the course of NAFLD.