Hepatology Forum, cilt.1, sa.1, ss.14-19, 2020 (Hakemli Dergi)
Background and Aim: Resting metabolic (RMR) rate was shown to be
associated with chronic inflammatory conditions. In this study, we aimed
to investigate whether RMR differs significantly in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) from patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver
disease (NAFLD) without evidence of inflammation.
Material and Methods: Forty-two biopsy-proven NASH were compared
with 37 NAFLD patients, who had normal serum transaminases and no evidence of fibrosis based on transient elastography examination. In the interviews, patients’ levels of physical activity and dietary habits were recorded,
and bioimpedance analysis was performed. The RMRs were calculated using an indirect calorimeter.
Results: RMR did not significantly differ between patients with NASH and
NAFLD without steatohepatitis in both genders (p=0.695 in males, p=0.256
in females). However, only in female patients RMR rate per body weight
was significantly higher in patients with NASH (22.3 [17.2–26.6] cal/kg to
20.2 [12.2–26.1] cal/kg, p=0.020).
Conclusion: In conclusion, RMR was not significantly associated with
steatohepatitis in patients with NAFLD. Considering the minimizing the
effects of body weight, RMR rate per body weight may be used over RMR
in the evaluation of the inflammatory status of the NAFLD.