Cited by 136Liver Disease Diagnosis and TreatmentAlcohol Consumption and Health EffectsLiver physiology and pathology

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Alcohol-Related Liver Disease: Two Intertwined Entities

Open access
Idalsoaga, Francisco, Kulkarni, Anand V., Mousa, Omar Y., Arrese, Marco, Arab, Juan Pablo·2020·Frontiers in Medicine

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, with a prevalence of 25-30%. Since its first description in 1980, NAFLD has been conceived as a different entity from alcohol-related fatty liver disease (ALD), despite that, both diseases have an overlap in the pathophysiology, share genetic-epigenetic factors, and frequently coexist. Both entities are characterized by a broad spectrum of histological features ranging from isolated steatosis to steatohepatitis and cirrhosis. Distinction between NAFLD and ALD is based on the amount of consumed alcohol, which has been arbitrarily established. In this context, a proposal of positive criteria for NAFLD diagnosis not considering exclusion of alcohol consumption as a prerequisite criterion for diagnosis had emerged, recognizing the possibility of a dual etiology of fatty liver in some individuals. The impact of moderate alcohol use on the severity of NAFLD is ill-defined. Some studies suggest protective effects in moderate doses, but current evidence shows that there is no safe threshold for alcohol consumption for NAFLD. In fact, given the synergistic effect between alcohol consumption, obesity, and metabolic dysfunction, it is likely that alcohol use serves as a significant risk factor for the progression of liver disease in NAFLD and metabolic syndrome. This also affects the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review, we summarize the overlapping pathophysiology of NAFLD and ALD, the current data on alcohol consumption in patients with NAFLD, and the effects of metabolic dysfunction and overweight in ALD.

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Crossref · 10.3389/fmed.2020.00448

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  • Aberrant lipid handling causes the intracellular accumulation of potentially toxic bioactive lipid species in hepatocytes, an essential phenomenon in both MASH and ASH.

    “Aberrant lipid handling causes the intracellular accumulation of potentially toxic bioactive lipid species in hepatocytes; an essential phenomenon in both MASH and ASH(201).”

    From The liver as a central "hub" of the immune system: pathophysiological implications (2025) · cites this paper as [201]

    The ‘Hepatic Fat Accumulation and Lipotoxicity’ section says dysregulated hepatic lipid flux leads to accumulation of triglycerides and other lipids in both NAFLD and ALD, and identifies harmful lipid species involved in lipotoxicity. It calls lipotoxicity important in NAFLD/NASH, but says the phenomenon is not well characterized in ALD and evidence about intrahepatic lipid species and their effects is scarce. Thus, it does not establish the claimed essential role in both MASH and ASH. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Idalsoaga, F., Kulkarni, A. V., Mousa, O. Y., Arrese, M., & Arab, J. P.
Affiliations
  • Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (CL)
  • Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (IN)
  • Mayo Clinic (US)
Corresponding author
Arab, Juan Pablo
Venue
Frontiers in Medicine
Published
2020-08-20
Volume
7
Pages
448-448
ISSN
2296-858X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3080530345
Cited by
136
References
206
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 17
FWCI
2.74
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Frontiers in Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (1191145, 1200227)
  • Consejo Nacional de Innovación, Ciencia y Tecnología (AFB170005)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Liver physiology and pathology
Keywords
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, alcohol consumption, steatohepatitis, liver cirrhosis, metabolic dysfunction, obesity, metabolic syndrome, hepatocellular carcinoma, pathophysiology, disease progression

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