Conclusion We present clear evidence for the benefit of probiotics and synbiotics supplementation  for liver steatosis , liver enzymes , lipid profiles and liver stiffness in patients with NAFLD
Background and Aim Extensive epidemiological evidence suggests that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease ( NAFLD ) is the primary chronic liver disease worldwide .
However , some studies have showed conflicting results on the effects of probiotics and synbiotics supplementation .
Therefore , we conducted a systematic review and meta- analysis to investigate the effectiveness of the supplementation in subjects with NAFLD .
Ultrasound scanning in the detection of hepatic fibrosis and steatosis.
Hepatic steatosis and fibrosis produce abnormal echo patterns on ultrasound scanning , but the potential of ultrasound scanning for diagnosing these conditions in routine clinical practice is uncertain . A prospect i ve comparative study of 85 patients with histologically assessed liver conditions was performed , and specificity was assessed in 76 patients with functional bowel disease who were presumed to have normal livers . Histological examination showed steatosis ranging from mild to severe in 48 patients and fibrosis ranging from increased fibrous tissue to established cirrhosis in 35 patients . Ultrasound scanning accurately identified steatosis , recognising 45 cases ( sensitivity 94 % ) with a specificity of 84 % . Fibrosis was less reliably detected ( sensitivity 57 % and specificity 88 % ) . Of the 50 patients with alcoholic liver disease , 47 ( 94 % ) yielded abnormal results on scanning . In the 76 patients with functional bowel disease there was only one false positive result , giving a specificity of 99 % in this group . As hepatic steatosis is the earliest change in alcoholic liver disease and seems to be of prognostic importance for the development of cirrhosis , ultrasound scanning provides an effective screening procedure , particularly in the occult alcoholic , who often presents with non-specific gastrointestinal complaints
Conclusion We present clear evidence for the benefit of probiotics and synbiotics supplementation  for liver steatosis , liver enzymes , lipid profiles and liver stiffness in patients with NAFLD
Background and Aim Extensive epidemiological evidence suggests that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease ( NAFLD ) is the primary chronic liver disease worldwide .
However , some studies have showed conflicting results on the effects of probiotics and synbiotics supplementation .
Therefore , we conducted a systematic review and meta- analysis to investigate the effectiveness of the supplementation in subjects with NAFLD .