Effect of sitagliptin on hepatic histological activity and fibrosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients: a 1-year randomized control trial

Background/purpose: Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) expression is directly associated with hepatic lipogenesis and liver injury in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). This study has been designed to elucidate the histological improvement of NASH with the DPP-4 inhibitor sitagliptin. Materials and methods: In this open-label randomized control trial, paired liver biopsy was taken from 40 NASH patients. Sitagliptin 100 mg was given once daily to the SL group and no sitagliptin was given to the L group for 1 year. Patients from both groups were encouraged to exercise moderately and advised to avoid saturated fat, excessive sugar, soft drinks, fast food, and refined carbohydrates to reduce weight. Results: Steatosis improved in the SL group (from 2.3±0.6 to 1.2±0.8; P =0.000) and the L…