studies

HEPATOLOGY, VOLUME 62, NUMBER 1 (SUPPL) AASLD ABSTRACTS 331A
236
Clinical and Metabolic Effects Associated With Weight
Loss and Obeticholic Acid In Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
(NASH)
Bilal Hameed 1 , Norah Terrault 1 , Ryan M. Gill 1 , Rohit Loomba 2 ,
Naga P. Chalasani 3 , Jay H. Hoofnagle 4 , Mark L. Van Natta 5 ;
1 UCSF (University of California San Francisco), San Francisco, CA;
2 University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA; 3 Indiana Univeristy,
Indianapolis, IN; 4 NIDDK, Bethesda, MD; 5 John Hopkins
University, Baltimore, MD
Background/Aims: In a 72-week, randomized controlled trial
(FLINT), obeticholic acid (OCA) was superior to placebo in
improving serum ALT levels and liver histology in 283 patients
with NASH. OCA therapy also reduced weight (mean net loss
= 2.3 kg). Because weight loss can improve hepatic histology,
we have assessed the role of weight loss and OCA treatment
in improving clinical and metabolic features of NASH. Methods:
This secondary analysis was limited to 200 patients who
underwent a baseline and end-of-treatment liver biopsy. Liver
histology was graded using the standardized NASH CRN Scoring
System for NASH activity. Weight loss was defined as ≥ 2
kg loss by the end of treatment. Results: Weight loss occurred
in 43 of 102 (42%) OCA vs 29 of 98 (30%) placebo-recipients
(p=0.08). NAS improved more with OCA in patients
who lost vs did not lose weight (-2.4 vs -1.2, p