Histological profile of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most highly prevalent chronic liver disorders worldwide. NAFLD is characterized by the deposition of fat in the liver. If left untreated, this condition can lead to a continuum of liver damage, spanning from steatosis (hepatic fat deposition up to 5% or more of liver mass) to more severe conditions like steatohepatitis (fat deposition with associated inflammation), cirrhosis (irreversible fibrosis of the liver), and ultimately hepatocellular carcinoma, particularly among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to determine the histology profile of NAFLD among T2DM. Materials and Methods: One hundred and thirty-eight consented T2DM subjects (138) who satisfied the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Their anthropometric indices and their biochemical profiles were performed. An abdominal ultrasound scan was performed on all subjects to determine evidence of fatty liver, and a liver biopsy was conducted on the subjects who had imaging evidence of fatty liver after obtaining informed consent for liver biopsy. Data obtained was subjected to statistical analysis using the IBM SPSS software, version 25. Results: Liver histology results show that seven (70%) of T2DM NAFLD subjects had steatosis, three (30%) had nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, while two (20%) had fibrosis. Clinical features and biochemical parameters of T2DM subjects between subjects with and without histological evidence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis did not show any statistical difference, that is, P > 0.05. Likewise, there is no significant difference in clinical features and biochemical parameters of T2DM subjects between patients with and without histological evidence of liver fibrosis. Conclusion: This study revealed a relatively high percentage of steatohepatitis and fibrosis among NAFLD subjects with T2DM.