Bay Biosciences provides high quality, clinical grade, matched cryogenically preserved K2EDTA plasma, sera (serum) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), bio-fluid samples from fatty liver disease patients.
The K2EDTA plasma, sera (serum) and PBMC bio-fluid specimens are processed from fatty liver disease patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.
Fatty Liver Disease (FLD) Overview
FLD is the accumulation of abnormal amounts of fat within the liver cells (hepatocytes). Fatty liver disease can progress to cause cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver failure. It usually does not cause symptoms and signs unless there is progression to liver failure.
Complications of cirrhosis are the main causes of signs and symptoms of fatty liver disease. These can include abdominal pain, swollen belly, swollen legs, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes), and fatigue. Enlargement of breasts in men is another possible associated sign.
Fatty liver is also known as hepatic steatosis. It happens when fat builds up in the liver. Having small amounts of fat in your liver is normal, but too much can become a health problem.
The liver is the second-largest organ in the human body. It helps process nutrients from food and drinks, and filters harmful substances from your blood. Too much fat in the liver can cause liver inflammation, which can damage your liver and create scarring. In severe cases, this scarring can lead to liver failure.
When fatty liver develops in someone who drinks a lot of alcohol, it’s known as alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD).
In someone who doesn’t drink a lot of alcohol, it’s known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
According to a 2017 research review, NAFLD affects up to 25 to 30 percent of people in the United States and Europe.
Stages of Fatty Liver Disease (FLD)
Fatty liver can progress through following four stages:
- Simple fatty liver: There’s a buildup of excess fat in the liver. Simple fatty liver is largely harmless if it doesn’t progress.
- Steatohepatitis: In addition to excess fat, there’s also inflammation in the liver.
- Fibrosis: Persistent inflammation in the liver has now caused scarring. However, the liver can still generally function normally.
- Cirrhosis: Scarring of the liver has become widespread, impairing the liver’s ability to function. This is the most severe stage and is irreversible.
Both AFLD and NAFLD present similarly. However, in many cases, fatty liver causes no noticeable symptoms. But you may feel tired, or experience discomfort or pain in the upper right side of the abdomen.
Some patients with fatty liver disease develop complications, including liver scarring. Liver scarring is known as liver fibrosis. If you develop severe liver fibrosis, it’s known as cirrhosis, a potentially life-threatening condition that can cause liver failure.
The liver damage due to cirrhosis is permanent. Therefore, it is very important to prevent it from developing in the first place.
Types of Fatty Liver Disease (FLD)
There are two types of fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
The main form of the disease is NAFLD. In the United States, around 80–100 million patients have NAFLD.
There are two separate conditions that fall under the umbrella of NAFLD: simple fatty liver, or nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
Simple Fatty Liver
This disease develops when there is fat in the liver, but little or no damage to liver cells. Simple fatty liver does not typically develop into a more severe medical condition.
NASH
An individual who has developed NASH has inflammation and damaged liver cells, as well as fat in the liver. NASH can progress into a more serious condition, such as liver cancer or cirrhosis.
Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (AFLD)
Individuals who drink alcohol excessively may develop alcoholic fatty liver disease. As the liver breaks down the excess alcohol, it can generate harmful substances. This can result in liver cell damage and inflammation.
This is the first stage of alcohol-related liver disease, and if an individual stops using alcohol, they may be able to reverse it. Alcoholic fatty liver disease can develop into alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis.
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is the most serious stage of liver disease. It typically occurs when scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue. It can lead to liver failure.
As cirrhosis progresses, symptoms can include:
- Bruising or bleeding.
- Bloating.
- Itchy skin.
- Jaundice, which is when a person’s skin and eyes turn yellow.
- Memory problems and confusion.
- Swelling in the feet or lower legs.
Cirrhosis can be life threatening, and the patient should seek immediate medical help.
Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy (AFLP)
Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) is when excess fat builds up in the liver during pregnancy. It’s a rare but serious pregnancy complication. The exact cause is unknown, although genetics may be a reason.
Around 3% of pregnant women will develop this form of fatty liver disease.
Symptoms of acute fatty liver disease can include the following:
- Extreme fatigue and tiredness
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Stomach pain
Any pregnant woman who is experiencing these symptoms should seek urgent medical attention. Acute fatty liver of pregnancy can be potentially life threatening, so quick diagnosis and treatment are essential.
When AFLP develops, it usually appears in the third trimester of pregnancy. If left untreated, it poses serious health risks to the mother and baby.
If your doctor diagnoses AFLP, they will want to deliver your baby as soon as possible. You might need to receive follow-up care for several days after you give birth.
Your liver health will likely return to normal within a few weeks of giving birth.
Causes of Fatty Liver Disease (FLD)
The cause of how fatty liver disease develops is unknown. However, genetics may play a role.
According to an article in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, specific genes may increase the chances of a person developing NAFLD by up to 27%. Some health conditions can increase the risk of developing NAFLD.
These include the following:
- Being overweight or obesity
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Insulin resistance
- Type 2 diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome, which is a group of medical conditions and characteristics linked to obesity.
High levels of fat in a person’s blood, such as high cholesterol and triglycerides, can also contribute to the risk of developing fatty liver disease.
Experts consider the level of triglycerides in a person’s blood to be high if it is more than 150–199 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).
Less common causes of fatty liver disease include hepatitis C infection, rapid weight loss, and some medications, including diltiazem and glucocorticoids.
Excess consumption of alcohol causes alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The liver breaks down alcohol and removes it from the body. As alcohol breaks down, it releases harmful toxins that can damage liver cells and cause inflammation.
Other potential causes of fatty liver include:
- Certain rare genetic conditions
- Pregnancy
- Side effects from some types of medications
- Some types of infections, such as hepatitis C
Risk Factors of Fatty Liver Disease (FLD)
The main risk factor for AFLD is drinking heavy amounts of alcohol. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines heavy drinking as:
- Men who drink 15 or more drinks per week
- Men who drink 8 or more drinks per week
Research has found that men who consume 40 to 80 grams of alcohol per day and women who consume 20 to 40 grams of alcohol per day over 10 to 12 years are at a higher risk of severe alcohol-related liver disease. A standard alcoholic drink contains about 14 grams of alcohol.
In addition to heavy alcohol consumption, other risk factors for AFLD include the following:
- A history of certain infections, such as hepatitis C
- Genetics
- Older age
- Obesity
- Smoking
The major risk factors for NAFLD are:
- Being overweight or obesity
- High cholesterol
- Insulin resistance
- High triglycerides
- Type 2 diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome
Other risk factors for NAFLD include the following:
- A history of certain infections, such as hepatitis C
- Exposure to certain toxins
- Having a family history of liver disease
- Obstructive sleep apnea.
- Older age
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Pregnancy
- Rapid weight loss
- Taking certain medications, such as methotrxate (Trexall), taoxifen (Nolvadex), and amiodarone (Pacerone)
- Rare genetic conditions, like Wilson disease or hypobetalipoproteinemia
Diagnosis of Fatty Liver Disease (FLD)
To diagnose fatty liver, your doctor will take your medical history, conduct a physical exam, and order one or more tests.
If your doctor suspects that you might have fatty liver, they will likely ask you questions about:
- Alcohol consumption and other lifestyle habits
- Medications you might take.
- Other medical conditions a person might have
- Patient’s family medical history, including any history of liver disease.
- Recent changes in your health
Let you doctor know if you’ve been experiencing fatigue, loss of appetite, or other unexplained symptoms.
Physical Exam
To check for liver inflammation, your doctor may palpate or press on your abdomen. If your liver is enlarged, they might be able to feel it.
However, it’s possible for your liver to be inflamed without being enlarged. Your doctor might not be able to tell if your liver is inflamed by touch.
Blood Tests
In many cases, fatty liver disease is diagnosed after blood tests show elevated liver enzymes. For example, your doctor may order the alanine aminotransferase test (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase test (AST) to check your liver enzymes.
Your doctor might recommend these tests if you’ve developed signs or symptoms of liver disease, or they might be ordered as part of routine blood work.
Elevated liver enzymes are a sign of liver inflammation. Fatty liver disease is one potential cause of liver inflammation, but it’s not the only one.
If your test results are positive for elevated liver enzymes, your doctor will likely order additional tests to identify the cause of the inflammation.
Imaging Tests
Your doctor may use one or more of the following imaging tests to check for excess fat or other problems with your liver:
- Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Ultrasound test
They might also order a test known as vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE, FibroScan). This test uses low-frequency sound waves to measure liver stiffness. It can help check for scarring.
Liver Biopsy
A liver biopsy is considered the best way to determine the severity of liver disease.
During a liver biopsy, a doctor will insert a needle into your liver and remove a piece of tissue for examination. They will give you a local anesthetic to lessen the pain. This test can help determine whether you have fatty liver disease and liver scarring.
Treatment of Fatty Liver Disease (FLD)
There are currently no medications to treat NAFLD. Depending on the stage of the disease, however, some patients can reverse it. Gradually reducing body weight by at least 7–10% can improve disease activity.
However, losing weight too quickly can make NAFLD worse. A healthful way to lose weight gradually is with a balanced diet and regular exercise.
Patients who have alcoholic fatty liver disease may be able to reverse liver damage and inflammation or prevent it from getting worse by not consuming alcohol. However, this will not reverse cirrhosis.
Some patients might find giving up alcohol extremely difficult, but a doctor can advise on how to do so in a safe and supported way.
Lifestyle Changes
Making lifestyle changes is essential in treating fatty liver disease.
Lifestyle changes may include:
- Abstaining from alcohol
- Eating a balanced diet
- Choosing smaller portion sizes
- Doing regular exercise
Eating a balanced diet and more modest portions may help a person maintain a moderate weight.
Foods that may help prevent the development of NAFLD include garlic, coffee, leeks, asparagus, and probiotics. A person should choose whole grains and eat a wide range of fruits and vegetables.
A person should try to avoid foods that are high in saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, or sugar.
According to researchers, simple sugars, red meat, processed food, and foods that are low in fiber may lead to the development of NAFLD.
Doing regular exercise is also important. Aim for 2.5 hours of physical exercise per week. This should be an activity that raises the heart rate, such as going for a bike ride.
Staying active, maintaining a moderate weight, and moderate drinking can all help prevent fatty liver disease.
Diet for Fatty Liver Disease (FLD)
If you have fatty liver disease, your doctor might encourage you to adjust your diet to help treat the condition and lower your risk of complications.
Your doctor might advise you to do the following:
- Balance your diet: Try to select foods from all food groups. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, low fat dairy, and healthy fats and oils.
- Cut calories: Aim to limit your consumption of foods that are high in calories.
- Focus on fiber: Fiber can help improve the function of your liver. Example of foods that are rich in fiber include fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
- Limit certain foods. Take steps to reduce your consumption of foods that are high in:
- Refined carbohydrates: such as sweets, white rice, white bread, or other refined grain products
- Sodium (salt)
- Saturated fats: These are found in foods such red meat, full fat dairy, and fried foods.
- Trans fats: Which are present in fried foods and many processed snack foods.
- Avoid raw or undercooked shellfish: Raw or undercooked shellfish can contain bacteria that can make you seriously ill.
- Increase water intake: Drinking plenty of water can help keep you hydrated and also improve the health of your liver.
- Limit drinking alcohol: Depending on the condition of your liver, you may be able to drink alcohol moderation. If you have AFLD, you’ll need to abstain from alcohol entirely.
Prognosis of Fatty Liver Disease (FLD)
The most common risk factors for fatty liver disease relate to obesity and overweight.
Taking steps to lose weight through diet and exercise can reduce the risk of developing fatty liver disease. This can also be a way to reverse liver damage or to halt the progress of the disease.
Once fatty liver disease has progressed further, doctors find it more challenging to treat. However, the liver is very good at repairing itself, and medication and surgery may be options for treatment.
In many cases, it’s possible to reverse fatty liver disease through lifestyle changes, such as limiting alcohol, adjusting diet, and managing weight. These changes may help prevent further liver damage and scarring from occurring.
For AFLD in particular, it’s important to abstain from alcohol use entirely. If you need help with not drinking alcohol, consider engaging in a detoxification program and counseling.
When left untreated, fatty liver disease can progress to inflammation, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Scarring due to cirrhosis isn’t reversible. If you develop cirrhosis, it also increases your risk of liver cancer and liver failure. These complications can be life threatening.
Generally speaking, the outlook for fatty liver disease is best when treatment begins in the early stages, before fibrosis and cirrhosis.
For the best outcome, it’s important to follow your doctor’s recommended treatment plan and practice an overall healthy lifestyle.
Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.
Samples available include cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.
Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors available in all formats and types.
Our biobank procures and stores fully consented, deidentified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples and matched controls.
All our human tissue collections, human specimens and human bio-fluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.
This critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.
Patient’s data is extremely valuable for researchers and is used to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, and other therapeutic areas and diseases.
Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and biological samples, including cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.
Including fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as serum, plasma and PBMC.
Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.
Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.
Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:
- Peripheral whole-blood
- Amniotic fluid
- Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL)
- Sputum
- Pleural effusion
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
- Serum (sera)
- Plasma
- Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)
- Saliva
- Buffy coat
- Urine
- Stool samples
- Aqueous humor
- Vitreous humor
- Kidney stones (renal calculi)
- Other bodily fluids from most diseases including cancer.
We can also procure most human bio-specimens, special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.
In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human plasma, serum, and PBMC bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols; you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.
Bay Biosciences also provides human samples from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, contact us Now.
- 日本のお客様は、ベイバイオサイエンスジャパンBay Biosciences Japanまたはhttp://baybiosciences-jp.com/contact/までご連絡ください。