Copper and non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis

Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is recognized as the leading cause of liver disease. Recent studies have found an association between copper deficiency and the pathological features of NAFLD. Our aim was to compare serum copper concentrations in patients with NAFLD and controls and to establish the relationship with biological characteristics and scores of steatosis and fibrosis during NAFLD. This was a case-control study of patients followed for NAFLD. Controls were matched to patients for age and sex. Biological analyses were performed at the Biochemistry Laboratory of CHU Habib Bourguiba in Sfax. For patients with NAFLD we calculated steatosis scores (Fatty Liver Index (FLI) and NAFLD Liver Fat Score (NAFLD LFS)) and fibrosis scores (NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS score) and fibrosis-4 score (FIB-4)).