The plasma homocysteine concentrations were significantly higher in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, while the concentrations were not affected by chronic viral hepatitis. Plasma homocysteine is a parameter for discriminating steatohepatitis from simple steatosis. Determining the plasma homocysteine concentrations may facilitate selection of steatosis patients in whom a liver biopsy should be performed.

This study demonstrated for the first time that circulating fetuin-A in NAFLD is independently associated with endothelial dysfunction and subclinical atherosclerosis.

Both apelin and asymetric dymethyl arginine (ADMA) regulate blood pressures. Low apelin and high ADMA levels have been reported in several cardiometabolic disorders. However, there is no data about ADMA and apelin levels in essential hypertension and any relationship between them. We investigated a group of newly diagnosed and untreated 30 young hypertensive men and 30 healthy controls. Apelin levels were significantly lower and the ADMA levels were significantly higher in the patients (p = 0.04 for both). Both ADMA and apelin were related to the systolic blood pressures (SBP) (beta = -0.393, p = 0.003; beta = 0.285, p = 0.03, respectively). Future studies are necessary in order to clearly define the role of ADMA and apelin in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension.

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The increased levels of small, dense LDL3 and LDL4 in NASH may help to at least partly explain the increased risk for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases in these patients.

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