The Role of Leptin Receptors in NASH

University of California, Davis104 enrolled

Overview

NAFLD is a spectrum of liver diseases associated with varying degrees of hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and in some cases, fibrosis. NAFLD is a common observation in all demographics, but the prevalence of NAFLD and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is especially high in the morbidly obese population. Leptin is a cytokine that is encoded by the ob gene and primarily secreted by adipose tissue. The production of serum leptin increases with progressive obesity. Because of this observation, there has been significant interest in potential role of leptin in NAFLD. Our hypothesis is that we will find increased hepatic leptin and leptin receptor expression as the degree of hepatic injury worsens in NAFLD.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

104

Conditions

Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Metabolic Syndrome

Interventions

no interventions, only regular blood-drawOTHER

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 65 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * All patients undergoing elective bariatric surgery, ages 18-65. Exclusion Criteria: * non-obese patients, ages less than 18 and over 65. Pregnant patients.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

To link SLR to grade/stage of NASH

Time frame: 2.5 years

Secondary Outcomes

To link SLR, leptin and adiponectin to features/components of the metabolic syndrome