Definition, Pathogenesis, and Natural Progress of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Jeon,  Jae Han; Park,  Keun Gyu

doi:2014.15.2.65

J Korean Diabetes > Volume 15(2); 2014 > Article

Focused Issue

The Journal of Korean Diabetes 2014;15(2):65-70.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4093/jkd.2014.15.2.65 Published online June 25, 2014.

비알코올성 지방간(Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD) : 비알코올성 지방간(Non-alcoholic Fatty Lliver Disease)의 정의, 병인, 자연경과

전재한, 박근규

Definition, Pathogenesis, and Natural Progress of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Jae Han Jeon, Keun Gyu Park

Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea. kpark@knu.ac.kr

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is emerging as a world-wide health problem and is currently recognized as a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. It is an umbrella term to describe a wide range of diseases from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic hepatosteatosis (NASH) and NSAH-related liver cirrhosis. NAFLD is mainly associated with insulin resistance which allows increased free fatty acid (FFA) flux to the liver by increasing lipolysis from adipose tissue, triggering macrophage/immune activation, decreasing skeletal muscle glucose uptake, and increasing de novo lipogenesis. Increased FFA pool in the liver, in turn, increases lipotoxic intermediates, such as ceramides, diacylglycerols, and lysophosphatidylcholines, which are responsible for mitochondrial dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum stress, resulting in inflammation of the liver. When inflammation is severe enough to affect stellate cells, hepatic fibrosis can be induced.

Key Words: Free fatty acid, Insulin resistance, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Obesity