Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: The Effects of Purified n-3 Fatty Acids on Serum Fibrosis Markers and Cardiovascular Risk Markers in a Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial in Patients With Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Brief Summary: Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) imposes a high and increasing burden on the NHS, yet there is presently no licensed treatment or validated approach to management. NAFLD predisposes to increased risk of type 2 diabetes, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and may progress to chronic irreversible liver disease.

In NAFLD patients, the investigators will test the hypothesis that treatment with long chain n-3 fatty acid supplementation for 18 months favourably influences bio-markers for NAFLD and risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.


Options:
A: * Histologic evidence of NASH based on a liver biopsy obtained within 6 months of randomization.
* Age 18 years or older
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Type 2 diabetes, defined by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), as one of the following criteria:
* Symptoms of diabetes plus casual plasma glucose concentration \>200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or
* Fasting plasma glucose \>126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L) or
* 2-hour post-load glucose \>200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) during a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (GTT).
* Presumed NAFLD, defined by one of the following criteria:
* Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≥47 U/L for females and ≥56 U/L for males
* Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≥47 U/L for females and ≥60 U/L for males
* Enlarged liver (demonstrated by ultrasound or other imaging technique)
* Diagnostic histological findings shown on prior biopsy (in the last 5 years).

Exclusion Criteria:

* Bilirubin \>2 × ULN
* ALT \>155 U/L for females and \>185 U/L for males.
* AST \>155 U/L for females and \>200 U/L for males.
* Patients taking any antidiabetic medications, with the exception of metformin and sulfonylureas. If the HbA1c is \<11%, patients may be enrolled who have been withdrawn from all other diabetic medications as specified in the protocol, at the discretion of the Principal Investigator.
C: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients must have an age range between 18 to 65 years (inclusive).
2. Patients with fatty liver confirmed by ultrasound.
3. Patients must meet the criteria for impaired glucose regulation or type 2 diabetes mellitus (FPG ≥ 5.6 mmol/L and/or a two hour glucose value ≥ 7.8 mmol/L).
4. Course of diabetic mellitus no more than 1 years
5. Diabetic patients have not received anti-diabetic drugs, including insulin, biguanides, sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, or glinides for 4 weeks before the time of enrollment
6. Patients have not received lipid-regulating drugs (statins, fibrates)for 4 weeks before the time of enrollment
7. Blood pressure \< 160/100 mmHg,after receiving lifestyle therapy and effective anti-hypertensive drugs.
8. Patients must stopped other drugs medications for four weeks prior to entering the treatment period, such as: silybin, ursodeoxycholic acid, Polyene Phosphatidylcholine, vitamin E, some herbs with effect of regulating lipid and protecting liver function, etc.
9. Liver fat content(LFC) assessed by 1H MRS ≥ 13%(LFC was calculated by dividing the integral of the methylene groups in fatty acid chains of the hepatic triglycerides by the sum of methylene groups and water).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Any causes of chronic liver disease other than NAFLD (such as - but not restricted to - alcohol or drug abuse, medication, chronic hepatitis B or C, autoimmune, etc.);
2. Patients with significantly impaired liver function: ALT or AST ≥ 2 times upper limit of normal;
3. HBsAg (+) and/or HCV-Ab (+);
4. Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes or special type diabetes, and patients with BMI \< 22 Kg/m2;
5. Course of diabetes more than 1 years;
6. Diabetics patients who have taken or are taking oral glucose-lowering drugs or insulin;
7. Diabetics patients with a HbA1c \> 7.5% on initial visit;
8. Patients with severe diabetes complications (diabetes ketoacidosis, diabetes coma or with symptomatic of diabetes coma; dysfunction of nerve, retinopathy, dysfunction of kidney）;
9. Patients with serum creatinine ≥ 1.5 mg/dL (133 umol/L);
10. Patients with a history of clinically significant heart disease (myocardial infarct, heart failure, and or severe cardiac rhythm);
11. Complicating severe infection, within 6 months after operation, severe trauma;
12. Patients with excess alcohol consumption≥140g/week(male); ≥ 70g/week(female);
13. Patients have participated other clinical trials within 24 weeks;
14. Patients with a history of drug allergy to TZDs and berberine;
15. Patients wth gestation or possible gestation or lactation, or males or females who expecting gestation during clinical trial;
16. Mental diseases patients;
17. Those who refuse to sign informed consent;
18. Any other conditions, which, in the opinion of the investigators would impede competence or compliance or possibility of hindering completion of the study;
19. Patients with serum triglyceride ≥ 5.0 mmol/L;
20. Patients with thyroid disease, including hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.
D: Inclusion criteria:

1. Steatohepatitis diagnosed on normal clinical grounds including in most cases liver biopsy and assessed by Kleiner scoring system to assess severity, with no known aetiological factors for underlying liver disease (e.g. exclusion of hepatitis A, B \& C, primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis, haemochromatosis).
2. Steatosis diagnosed by ultrasound, CT or magnetic resonance imaging who also have either diabetes and/or features of the metabolic syndrome, without evidence of known aetiological factors for underlying liver disease (e.g. exclusion of hepatitis A, B \& C, primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis, haemochromatosis).

Liver biopsy or liver scan will be within 3 years of recruitment to the study. Age: men \& women \>18 years. Alcohol consumption \<35 units / week for women \<50 units / week for men).

Exclusion criteria:

* Decompensated acute or chronic liver disease, or harmful drinking (\> 35 u/week in women \> 50 u /week in men).

Answer: D