NAFLD pathogenesis in the light of recent research

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver diseases in the world. Nowadays, the number of people with type II diabetes and hypertension is growing. These symptoms belong to metabolic syndrome and the liver manifestation of this disease is NAFLD. Most people suffering from NAFLD are obese but this disease can also affect the lean individuals. This disease in extreme cases can lead to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Although NAFLD remains largely asymptomatic for the most of the time it can progress to a severe form of disease called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or even hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review we describe a role of factors that influence NAFLD pathogenesis such as: insulin resistance, epigenetic factors, adipokine dysfunction, intestinal flora disorder, oxidative stress and markers of inflammatory states in the form of fatty acid derivatives.