Fatty Liver Index (FLI) in Predicting Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

Abstract

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered as the most common chronic liver disease, which can contribute to some clinical conditions varying from simple steatosis to hepatic cirrhosis. Consequently, the early diagnosis of NAFLD is vital. The present study aimed at investigating the ability of FLI (fatty liver index) in predicting NAFLD. Methods: A total of 212 individuals over the age of 18 years (103 males and 109 females) were recruited from those admitted to a gastrointestinal clinic in Mashhad, northeastern Iran. Anthropometric parameters were measured and blood samples were collected. Hepatic steatosis and fibrosis were identified by FibroScan. FLI from body mass index, waist circumference (WC), triglyceride, and gamma glutamyltransferase data were calculated. Logistic regression was applied to establish a relationship among FLI, hepatic steatosis, and fibrosis. The sensitivity and specificity of FLI and its optimal cut-off point were detected by receiver operating characteristic analysis.

Assessment of hepatic fibrosis and steatosis by vibration-controlled transient elastography and controlled attenuation parameter versus non-invasive assessment scores in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

“…We also found that there is a statistically significant correlation between GGT and steatosis measured by CAP (r = 0.60, r = 0.53, p < 0.001) which goes with the findings of Dehnavi et al who concluded that there is a statistically significant correlation between GGT and steatosis (AUC = 0.66, 95%CI = 0.58-0.75, p < 0.001) [28]. This also agrees with Motamed et al who found that there was a significant positive high correlation was observed between serum GGT and NAFLD (AUC = 0.6927, 95% CI 0.6772-0.7081), p < 0.0001) [27].…”

“…We also found that there is a statistically significant correlation between BMI and WC in comparison to steatosis grades and values obtained by CAP (r = 0.54, r = 0.59, p < 0.028, and r = 0.59, r = 0.62, p < 0.036, respectively), and this agrees with Dehnavi et al who found that there is a highly significant correlation between BMI and WC and steatosis grades and values (p < 0.001) [28]. The current study also found that there was a statistically significant correlation between DM and steatosis grades and values obtained by CAP (r = 0.46, r = 0.49, p < 0.026), which goes with Kwok et al who found that there is a significant positive high correlation observed between serum fasting blood glucose and steatosis and that around 32-62% of diabetic patients were found to have NAFLD [13].…”

“…This result agrees with Motamed and his colleagues who analyzed 5052 subjects and found that there was a significant positive high correlation observed between serum FLI and NAFLD (AUC = 0.8656, 95% CI 0.8548-0.8764) which was also confirmed by binary regression, to the point that a one-unit increase in FLI led to a 5.8% increase in the chance of developing NAFLD and showed good predictive performance in the diagnosis of NAFLD [27]. Additionally, this agrees with Dehnavi et al who analyzed 212 patients with NAFLD and found that FLI was significantly associated with NAFLD (OR = 1.062, 95%CI 1.042-1.082, p < 0.001), and that mean FLI, BMI, WC, TG, and GGT were all significantly higher in NAFLD patients than in non-NAFLD participants, and that a one unit increase in FLI elevated the chance of developing NAFLD by 6.2% [28].…”

“…Similarly, Dehnavi et al investigated the relationship between FLI and NAFLD based on logistic regression and their findings revealed a highly significant positive relationship between FLI and NAFLD, so that even a one unit increase in FLI elevated the chance of developing NAFLD by 6.2% (OR = 1.062, 95%CI 1.042-1.082, p < 0.001). Even after adjusting for confounding factors such as sex, age, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), FBS, ALT, and LDL, the logistic regression analysis showed a significant positive association between FLI and NAFLD (OR = 1.059, 95%CI 1.035-1.083, p < 0.001) [28].…”

Anti-Inflammatory Diet Consumption Reduced Fatty Liver Indices: Finding From A Large Cohort Study in the Kurdish Population

“…(2017) the AUC of FLI reported 0.85 in the diagnosis of NAFLD 21 . Therefore, the present study evaluated associations of a validated DII, as a tool to assess the in ammatory capacity of the diet with noninvasive liver markers in adults from the Ravansar Non-Communicable Diseases (RaNCD) cohort study.…”