Background: Alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are significant forms of liver disease and may progress to end-stage liver disease, cirrhosis and potentially malignant complications. The most difficult aspect of establishing a diagnosis of NASH is distinguishing it from ASH. Laboratory markers such as AST, ALT and GGT lack sufficient sensitivity and specificity.
Aim: To study the clinical, biochemical and histological differences between non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH).
Materials and methods: Sixty histologically confirmed cases of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and 38 cases of alcoholic steatohepatitis were included in the study. A modified form of scoring system proposed by Yip and Burt was used to grade histological features of NASH and ASH.
Results: Mean age was 42.85 +/- 12.36 years in ASH group and 35.07 +/- 8.06 years for NASH group. Male: Female ratio was 37:1 in ASH and 4:1 in NASH. The mean ALT (P = 0.012), SAP (P = 0.003), serum bilirubin (P = 0.001), AST/ALT ratio (P = 0.03), steatosis (P < 0.001), ballooning degeneration of hepatocytes (P < 0.001), portal inflammation (P < 0.001), Mallory hyaline (P = 0.001), ductular proliferation and fibrosis (P < 0.001) showed a significant difference between ASH and NASH cases.
Discussion: Older age, male sex, larger derangement of serum biochemistry, high serum bilirubin, AST/ALT > 1, more ballooning degeneration, portal inflammation, Mallory's hyaline, hepatocytic and ductular cholestasis, ductular proliferation and higher stage of fibrosis favors a diagnosis of ASH. Younger age, high ALT, AST/ALT < 1, higher grade of steatosis and absence of extensive neutrophilic portal inflammation favors a diagnosis of NASH.