Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) remains a severe global infectious disease, with over 38 million people living with HIV and around 35 million cumulative deaths worldwide by 2023; approximately 1.24 million HIV-positive individuals and 100,000 new infections are reported annually in China. Widespread use of HAART has prolonged HIV patients' survival and reduced AIDS-related mortality, yet non-AIDS comorbidities dominated by chronic liver disorders, particularly metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), have become a major challenge in long-term HIV management. Triggered by elevated blood lipids from lifestyle, antiretroviral agents and inherited metabolic factors, MAFLD initiates with hepatic steatosis and may progress to NASH, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and even hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) without timely intervention. HIV-positive patients develop more severe MAFLD progression than HIV-negative counterparts; existing biopsy data shows 91% of ART-treated HIV patients have NAFLD, among whom 65% suffer from NASH complicated with liver fibrosis. Fatty liver prevalence keeps rising with younger onset age in China, which highlights the necessity of early screening. Liver biopsy, the historical diagnostic gold standard for liver injury grading, is restricted by invasiveness, bleeding risks and poor reproducibility. Transient elastography (TE), a novel non-invasive ultrasonic technique, quantifies hepatic steatosis via the ultrasound attenuation parameter (UAP) and liver fibrosis via liver stiffness measurement (LSM), and has been validated and guideline-endorsed for multiple chronic liver diseases globally. Published foreign data report 35%, 42% and 22% prevalence of NAFLD, NASH and fibrosis in PLWH, while domestic evidence on HIV-associated MAFLD is limited, especially liver-related discrepancies among varied ART regimens. With the implementation of China's new medical insurance policy, numerous patients are shifting from non-INI regimens to once-daily single-tablet INSTI STR regimens, whose hepatic and lipid impacts remain unclear. This study targets early detection of HIV patients with concomitant fatty liver to optimize management strategies and improve clinical outcomes. Our preliminary cohort at Peking Union Medical College Hospital included 188 virologically suppressed HIV patients on ART, 56.9% (107/188) of whom developed fatty liver (mild:27.1%, moderate:19.7%, severe:10.1%). Liver fibrosis (LSM≥7.3 kPa) was found in 12.8% (24/188) subjects, with 1.1% having advanced cirrhosis, and no significant inter-group difference in fatty liver incidence was noted between INSTI and NNRTI recipients. These findings lay a foundation for early diagnosis and follow-up intervention of metabolic liver disease among HIV-infected populations.

Obesity and overweight are rising in Chinese populations, where metabolic risks begin at lower BMI thresholds than in Western cohorts. Many individuals with overweight or mild-to-moderate obesity are ineligible or unwilling to undergo bariatric surgery due to invasiveness and risk. Endoscopic bariatric and metabolic therapies offer minimally invasive alternatives but vary in complexity, cost, and safety profiles. Investigators developed a sutureless endoscopic procedure, Endoscopic Radial Compression Gastroplasty (ERCG), which reduces gastric volume by apposing gastric walls using a clip-and-loop system. This randomized controlled trial evaluates the efficacy and safety of ERCG versus an optimized lifestyle intervention in Asian adults with BMI 24.0-37.4 kg/m² who have not succeeded with conservative measures. Preliminary studies suggest ERCG can achieve approximately 12% total body weight loss (TBWL) at 3 months. The primary endpoint is percent TBWL at 3 months; secondary outcomes include changes in BMI, metabolic parameters, quality of life, and adverse events. Results are expected to inform the role of ERCG as a safe, effective, and scalable option between conservative care and bariatric surgery.

This study aims to validate integrative multi-omics approaches for understanding complications related to metabolic syndrome. By combining genetic, transcriptomic, metabolomic, and microbiome data from participants with and without metabolic syndrome, the research seeks to determine which biological factors predict disease progression and how these insights can inform precision prevention and treatment strategies for metabolic disorders.

The purpose of this study is to explore the value of new MR technology in assessing the systemic metabolism, disease status, and prognostic risk of metabolism-related fatty liver disease. By obtaining clinical, imaging, laboratory examination and pathological data of metabolism-related fatty liver disease, image processing software is used to analyze the images, explore the relationship between imaging parameters, body composition and metabolic diseases and metabolism-related fatty liver disease, and achieve non-invasive diagnosis, efficacy evaluation, and prognosis prediction of metabolism-related fatty liver disease. Thereby guiding clinical treatment and improving the prognosis and quality of life of patients with metabolism-related fatty liver disease

Obesity is an epidemic in the US. With progression of obesity, Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has been a growing public health issue. Presently there is no cure for NASH.Prevention of progression of fibrosis in NASH is crucial, as they are at a high risk for cirrhosis and may need liver transplant. Recent studies have shown that blocking blood vessels to a particular portion of the stomach (bariatric or left gastric artery embolization) can temporarily decrease levels of the appetite inducing hormone ghrelin, and result in weight loss.The purpose of this study is to determine if Left gastric artery embolization (LGAE) in patients with obesity and NASH leads to clinically significant weight loss with improvement of NASH.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if daily supplementation with Low-methoxy (LM) pectin (polysaccharides extracted from citrus peels), which are commonly found in the UK diet (not pharmacological agents), can reduce systemic inflammation and improve gut microbiota composition in adults recently diagnosed with Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). The main question it aims to answer is: -How does dietary Low-methoxy (LM) pectin supplementation affect systematic inflammation pathways such as those mediated by gut microbiota composition and what are the impacts on general metabolic indicators in individuals with MASLD? Researchers will compare a group taking 15g of LM-pectin with 10g of cocoa powder to a placebo group receiving 10g of placebo with 10g of cocoa powder to see if LM-pectin has measurable effects on inflammation and gut microbiota. Participants will: * Take a daily supplement for 6 weeks: either 15g of LM-pectin with 10g of cocoa powder (intervention), or 10g of placebo with 10g of cocoa powder (control) * Provide stool and fasting blood samples before and after the intervention * Undergo anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist/hip ratio, and blood pressure) * Complete a case report form (CRF) including demographics and health/medical history * Undergo a FibroScan™ to assess liver health * (Optional) Participate in MRI scans to evaluate gut permeability

This is a Phase 2a, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of 2 dose levels of TLC-2716 in subjects with hypertriglyceridemia and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease as assessed by changes in fasting triglycerides, liver steatosis by MRI, and other biomarkers.

The purpose of this study is to determine the disease progression in CHB/NAFLD compared with CHB and NAFLD including liver cirrhosis, cirrhotic complications and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Evaluate the preliminary effectiveness and safety of the Gastric Bypass Stent System in treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

This study focuses on the effects of Henagliflozein on hepatic fat content in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Sponsored by Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, this study is a multi-center, randomized, controlled clinical trial, aiming at exploring the difference in the reduction of liver fat content in the subjects compared with the control group after 24 weeks of treatment. Subjects from different medical centers diagnosed with T2DM and NAFLD will be randomly assigned to the treatment or control group in a 1:1 ratio, and subsequently initiate the intervention period of 24 weeks. In this trial, patients will be treated with 10 mg of Henagliflozein + metformin and 5 mg of Linagliptin + metformin as control, and the dose of metformin will be customized at 500-1500mg according to their individual blood glucose level. The check-points are set at the 8th, 16th and 24th week of the follow-up after the treatment, and nutritionists are available to provide dietary and exercise guidance.

This is a prospective, multicenter, open-label, non-randomized controlled real-world study to explore the efficacy and safety and to accumulate more evidence-based medical data of an antiviral treatment programme for chronic viral hepatitis B with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. A total of 1500 patients with chronic hepatitis B complicated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are divided into test group (1000 patients receiving PEG-IFNα-based antiviral therapy (combined NAs or Peg-IFNα monotherapy) and control group（500 patients receiving NAs monotherapy） according to their treatment intention. Laboratory and medical data from specified follow-up points are collected, and adverse events and drug combinations are recorded detailly. The primary efficacy indicator is HBsAg clearance at 48 weeks of treatment, and the secondary indicators included: (1) HBsAg clearance at 96 weeks of treatment, (2) Cumulative HBsAg clearance at week 24、120、144、168、192、216 and 240; (3) The improvement of liver function level(ALT, AST, TBIL, etc.), blood lipid (TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, etc.), fasting blood glucose, insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), controlled attenuation parameter, body mass index , liver stiffness measurement, liver histological fibrosis, FIB-4 index from baseline; (4)Incidence of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma during follow-up. The security assessment includes adverse events, vital signs, and imaging.

The global rise in the prevalence of obesity paved the way for the increased prevalence of yet another obesity-related complication significant enough to be considered within the roster of major public health threats: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this follow-up study, the investigators will attempt to decipher the natural history of hepatic steatosis among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using state-of-the-art methods in a well-characterized Saudi cohort. The investigators aim also to validate existing biomarkers of disease severity and explore the pathogenesis of progressive disease using metabolic profiling technologies. A total of 1000 adult Saudi patients (males and females) with T2DM will be recruited. Those with co-morbidities, including hepatic decompensation, will be excluded. Participants will be followed three times for a total of 10 years/patient (Year 2, Year 5, and Year 10), and measures such as dietary evaluations, anthropometrics, and urine, stool, and blood examinations will be performed. Patients who develop NAFLD will be noted, and patterns/changes in the metabolic profile will be examined. For this specific grant (the first 2 years of the whole project), the investigators will be able to recruit the study cohort, do the baseline anthropometric, imaging, and biochemical measurements, and report the prevalence of NAFLD among patients with T2DM. This information will be the basis of subsequent follow-up and allow for validating potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. This project will be of high importance at the national level since it will create awareness in the local medical community of the current severity status of NAFLD in the kingdom and will be used as a tool to promote public health awareness in the community.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common condition affecting the liver, owing to its association with obesity and the metabolic syndrome. The largest study to date using magnetic resonance spectroscopy to quantify liver triglyceride (TG) content showed that approximately 33% of individuals have hepatic steatosis. NAFLD encompasses a continuum of histological findings that starts with steatosis that can progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is characterized by inflammation and cell death, and eventually cirrhosis. Given the large number of individuals afflicted with this condition, there is a clear need to develop effective and safe therapies to treat NAFLD.

The aim of the present prospective NAFLD cohort study (with biobank), of obese subjects with proven NAFLD based on liver biopsy and/or MRI, is to study factors contributing to the development of NASH in patients with simple steatosis and to identify and validate non-invasive markers for the diagnosis of NASH.