A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Leukocyte Telomere Length and It's Relationship with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Mexican Americans
Abstract
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is one of the most prominent causes of end-stage liver disease. Shortened telomeres have been noted to play a significant role in the development of liver disease and its eventual progression into hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study is to investigate the cross-sectional association between leukocyte telomere length and liver steatosis and fibrosis in Mexican Americans from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (CCHC) study using recently developed non-invasive diagnostic modality for NAFLD and telomere measurement. Although there was no significant association found between relative telomere length measurements and NAFLD stages, the present study found that the directionality of their relationship is indicative of what has been reported in previous studies. Diabetes and obesity status were both significantly associated with every stage of NAFLD, supporting their denotation as significant risk factors.
Subject Area
Epidemiology
Recommended Citation
Rodriguez, Jessica, "A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Leukocyte Telomere Length and It's Relationship with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Mexican Americans" (2018). Texas Medical Center Dissertations (via ProQuest). AAI10846778.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/dissertations/AAI10846778