Efficacy of metabolic therapy in NAFLD patients with normal or
elevated intestinal permeability
Finally, we explored whether intestinal permeability can predict the
efficacy of metabolic therapy in patients with NAFLD. Thirty patients
with NAFLD completed a one-month follow-up after metabolic therapy. The
effects of metabolic therapy were assessed by determining the
improvements in blood lipids as follows: Δlipid=baseline levels–levels
one month after treatment.
NAFLD patients with elevated intestinal permeability had a lower ΔTG
value one month after metabolic therapy, at -0.10 (-0.39–0.39) vs. 1.00
(0.90–1.30) (P=0.014) than those with normal intestinal permeability.
Besides, patients with normal intestinal permeability seemed to have a
better improvement of TC, HDL, and LDL after one month of metabolic
therapy, although the differences were not statistically significant
(Table 4 ). However, the changes in clinical characteristics
(BMI); liver test parameters (ALT, AST, GGT, TBIL, DBIL, and IBIL); and
liver ultrasonographic parameters (LSM and FAP) showed no significant
differences between the two groups after one month of metabolic therapy.