Observational Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2015. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 7, 2015; 21(1): 301-310
Published online Jan 7, 2015. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i1.301
Fatty acid changes help to better understand regression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Dominika Maciejewska, Arleta Drozd, Piotr Ossowski, Karina Ryterska, Dominika Jamioł-Milc, Marcin Banaszczak, Joanna Raszeja-Wyszomirska, Małgorzata Kaczorowska, Anna Sabinicz, Ewa Stachowska
Dominika Maciejewska, Arleta Drozd, Piotr Ossowski, Karina Ryterska, Dominika Jamioł-Milc, Marcin Banaszczak, Małgorzata Kaczorowska, Anna Sabinicz, Ewa Stachowska, Department of Biochemistry and Human Nutrition, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland
Joanna Raszeja-Wyszomirska, Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-672 Warsaw, Poland
Author contributions: Maciejewska D as a principal investigator was involved in design of the study; Drozd A, Banaszczak M performed the analysis; Ossowski P performed statistical analyses; Ryterska K, Jamioł-Milc D, Kaczorowska M and Sabinicz A were involved in dietary consultation; Stachowska E as a principal investigator was involved in conception and design of the study and dietary consultation; Raszeja-Wyszomirska J enrolled the patients.
Supported by National Science Centre, Poland, No. NCNNrNN404150539
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Ewa Stachowska, PhD, Professor, Head, Department of Biochemistry and Human Nutrition, Pomeranian Medical University, ul. Rybacka 1, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland. ewast@sci.pum.szczecin.pl
Telephone: +48-91-4414806 Fax: +48-91-4414807
Received: May 12, 2014
Peer-review started: May 13, 2014
First decision: June 10, 2014
Revised: June 24, 2014
Accepted: July 29, 2014
Article in press: July 30, 2014
Published online: January 7, 2015
Abstract

AIM: To investigate whether liver steatosis reduction due to a six-month dietary intervention results in significant changes in the concentrations of fatty acids.

METHODS: A group of 35 Caucasian individuals diagnosed with different levels of steatosis were prospectively enrolled in the present study. Analysis of the fatty acid profiles was performed according to changes in liver steatosis (liver steatosis reduction by one or two degrees) after a six-month dietary intervention. The diet helped reduce body mass in obese and overweight patients, and stabilize both glycemia and dyslipidemia. Fatty acids were extracted according to the Folch method and analyzed by gas chromatography.

RESULTS: This study showed significant changes in fatty acid profiles in patients who had reduced liver steatosis by one as well as two degrees. A reduction in liver steatosis by one degree caused a significant increase in the level of the n-3 family: eicosapentaenoic acid (P < 0.055), docosapentaenoic acid-C 22:5 (P < 0.05) and docosahexaenoic acid (P < 0.05). A reduction in liver steatosis by two degrees caused a significant decrease in serum palmitoleic acid-C 16:1 (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Liver steatosis reduction is associated with changes in fatty acid profiles, and these changes may reflect an alteration in fatty acid synthesis and metabolism. These findings may help better understand regression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Keywords: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Fatty acids, Biochemical parameters, Gas chromatography, Sterol regulatory element binding proteins 1c, n-3 Family, n-6 Family, Diet

Core tip: A reduction in liver steatosis due to a six-month dietary intervention resulted in significant changes in the concentrations of fatty acids. These changes may reflect an alteration in fatty acid synthesis and metabolism. These results show key elements in the mechanism of the reduction of liver steatosis and allow for a better understanding of the regression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.