Correlation of alcohol consumption with liver histological features in non-cirrhotic patients

BACKGROUND AND AIMSThe association between alcohol consumption and the risk of liver disease remains unclear. The aim of our study was to determine liver morphological features directly related to the mean lifetime daily alcohol intake (LTDAI) in non-cirrhotic patients. METHODSMedical records of all...

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Published in:	European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 155 - 159
Main Authors:	Kondili, Loreta A, Taliani, Gloria, Cerga, Gojart, Tosti, Maria E, Babameto, Adriana, Resuli, Bashkim
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc 01-02-2005 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Subjects:	Adult Alcohol Drinking - adverse effects Biological and medical sciences Biopsy Ethanol - administration & dosage Ethanol - adverse effects Fatty Liver, Alcoholic - etiology Fatty Liver, Alcoholic - pathology Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen Hepatitis, Alcoholic - etiology Hepatitis, Alcoholic - pathology Hepatocytes - drug effects Hepatocytes - pathology Humans Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic - etiology Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic - pathology Liver Diseases, Alcoholic - etiology Liver Diseases, Alcoholic - pathology Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas Male Medical sciences Middle Aged Other diseases. Semiology Risk Assessment Consumption Human Cirrhosis Fibrosis liver histology Digestive diseases Hepatic disease Alcohol Histology Inflammation necro-inflammation Steatosis
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Summary:	BACKGROUND AND AIMSThe association between alcohol consumption and the risk of liver disease remains unclear. The aim of our study was to determine liver morphological features directly related to the mean lifetime daily alcohol intake (LTDAI) in non-cirrhotic patients. METHODSMedical records of all consecutive patients who reported alcohol consumption up to the time of hospital admission and who had undergone a liver biopsy in the Gastroenterology Unit of the University Hospital Centre of Tirana (Albania), were reviewed. Patients with established cirrhosis and/or with other possible causes of liver damage were excluded by the study. RESULTSThe histological features revealed in the biopsy samples of 51 non-cirrhotic patients weresteatosis in 46 patients (91%), six of whom (13%) showed also alcoholic foamy degeneration; alteration of hepatocytes in 40 patients (78%), diffuse mononuclear inflammation in 37 patients (73%), polymorphonuclear inflammation in 11 patients (22%) and perivenular fibrosis in 18 patients (35%). Diffuse steatosis was directly correlated with alcohol consumption (P<0.01). No association was found between alcohol consumption and the presence of degenerative alterations of hepatocytes, Mallory bodies or hepatocellular necrosis. Fibrosis was more prevalent in patients who reported a LTDAI ≥80 g in comparison with patients who reported a LTDAI ≥40 to <80 g (48% vs 25%; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONIn non-cirrhotic patients liver steatosis and fibrosis were more common features among patients who reported a higher alcoholic consumption, but no clear-cut association between typical histological features of alcoholic liver disease and alcohol consumption was found.
ISSN:	0954-691X 1473-5687
DOI:	10.1097/00042737-200502000-00005