DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

"There is still so much that researchers need to understand about the liver and its related diseases," said Jacquelyn J. Maher, M.D., University of California, San Francisco. "Studies like these help us recognize important connections between the liver and other organs and highlight creative approaches to liver disease treatment that promise to improve the outcome of the most seriously ill patients."

Recent studies have shown that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with a condition known as the metabolic syndrome, which includes central obesity, type-2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and high blood pressure. However, the direct influence of NAFLD on coronary atherosclerotic disease (CAD, plaque build up in arteries) has not been investigated. This study, conducted by researchers at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services in Isfahan, Iran, evaluated the predictive value of liver biomarkers for coronary atherosclerosis in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

The study enrolled 630 patients with suspicious CAD who were candidates for a coronary angiography. To assess the predictive risk of CAD, all study participants were measured for serum AST (aspartate transaminase) and ALT (alanine transaminase) concentrations - commonly measured to determine liver health - as well as C-reactive protein level and traits for metabolic syndrome.

Following the analysis, researchers found ALT and ALT/AST ratio were significantly correlated with angiographic atherosclerosis score in women (r=0.17 and r=0.24, respectively). Logistic regression analysis showed that ALT/AST ratio in women could predict severe CAD (OR 3.39, 95% CI 1.76-8.76). Although significant in univariate analysis, neither ALT (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.77-1.15) nor AST (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.72-1.22) could predict severe CAD in men.

"We found that an elevated ALT/AST ratio in women could predict coronary atherosclerotic disease that is independent of the metabolic syndrome and serum C-reactive protein concentration," said Peyman Adibi, M.D., of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, and lead investigator for this study. "Therefore, further diagnostic and therapeutic interventions need to be conducted to understand the value of projecting liver biomarkers in CAD patients."-American Gastroenterological Association