A randomized trial of iron depletion in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and hyperferritinemia

AIM:To compare iron depletion to lifestyle changes alone in patients with severe nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)and hyperferritinemia,a frequent feature associated with more severe liver damage,despite at least 6 mo of lifestyle changes.METHODS:Eligible subjects had to be 18-75 years old who underwent liver biopsy for ultrasonographically detected liver steatosis and hyperferritinemia,ferritin levels≥250 ng/mL,and NAFLD activity score>1.Iron depletion had to be achieved by removing 350 cc of blood every 10-15 d according to baseline hemoglobin values and venesection tolerance,until ferritin<30 ng/mL and/or transferrin saturation(TS)<25%.Thirty-eight patients were randomized 1:1 to phlebotomy(n=21)or lifestyle changes alone(n=17).The main outcome of the study was improvement in liver damage according to the NAFLD activity score at 2 years,secondary outcomes were improvements in liver enzymes[alanine aminotransferases(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),and gamma-glutamyl-transferases(GGT)].RESULTS:Phlebotomy was associated with normalization of iron parameters without adverse events.In the21 patients compliant to the study protocol,the rate of histological improvement was higher in iron depleted vs control subjects(8/12,67%vs 2/9,22%,P=0.039).There was a better improvement in steatosis grade in iron depleted vs control patients(P=0.02).In patients followed-up at two years(n=35),ALT,AST,and GGT levels were lower in iron-depleted than in control patients(P<0.05).The prevalence of subjects with improvement in histological damage or,in the absence of liver biopsy,ALT decrease≥20%(associated with histological improvement in biopsied patients)was higher in the phlebotomy than in the control arm(P=0.022).The effect of iron depletion on liver damage improvement as assessed by histology or ALT decrease≥20%was independent of baseline AST/ALT ratio and insulin resistance(P=0.0001).CONCLUSION:Iron depletion by phlebotomy is likely associated with a higher rate of improvement of histological liver damage than lifestyle changes alone in patients with NAFLD and hyperferritinemia,and with amelioration of liver enzymes.