The function role of HIGD1A in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis from chronic hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND: Accompanied by the growing prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the coexistence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and NAFLD has increased. In the context of CHB, there is limited understanding of the factors that influence the development of NASH. METHODS: We enrolled CHB combined NAFLD patients who had liver biopsy and divided them to NASH vs. non-NASH groups. A whole transcriptome chip was used to examine the expression profiles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNA in biopsied liver tissues. The function analysis of HIGD1A were performed. We knocked down or overexpressed HIGD1A in HepG2.2.15 cells by transient transfection of siRNA-HIGD1A or pcDNA-HIGD1A. In vivo investigations were conducted using hepatitis B virus (HBV) transgenic mice. RESULTS: In 65 patients with CHB and NAFLD, 28 were patients with NASH, and 37 were those without NASH. After screening 582 differentially expressed mRNAs, GO analysis revealed differentially expressed mRNAs acting on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), which influenced redox enzyme activity. KEGG analysis also shown that they were involved in the NAFLD signaling pathway. The function analysis revealed that HIGD1A was associated with the mitochondrion. Then, both in vivo and in vitro CHB model, HIGD1A was significantly higher in the NASH group than in the non-NASH group. HIGD1A knockdown impaired mitochondrial transmembrane potential and induced cell apoptosis in HepG2.2.15 cells added oleic acid and palmitate. On the contrary, hepatic HIGD1A overexpression ameliorated free fatty acids-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress. Furthermore, HIGD1A reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) level by increasing glutathione (GSH) expression, but Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) pathway was not involved. CONCLUSION: Both in vivo and in vitro CHB model, an upward trend of HIGD1A was observed in the NASH-related inflammatory response. HIGDIA played a protective role in cells against oxidative stress. Our data suggested that HIGD1A may be a positive regulator of NASH within the CHB context.

Mucilage secretion by aerial roots in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor): sugar profile, genetic diversity, GWAS and transcriptomic analysis.

Aerial root mucilage can enhance nitrogen fixation by providing sugar and low oxygen environment to the rhizosphere microbiome in Sierra Mixe maize. Aerial root mucilage has long been documented in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), but little is known about the biological significance, genotypic variation, and genetic regulation of this biological process. In the present study, we found that a large variation of mucilage secretion capacity existed in a sorghum panel consisting of 146 accessions. Mucilage secretion occurred primarily in young aerial roots under adequately humid conditions but decreased or stopped in mature long aerial roots or under dry conditions. The main components of the mucilage-soluble were glucose and fructose, as revealed by sugar profiling of cultivated and wild sorghum. The mucilage secretion capacity of landrace grain sorghum was significantly higher than that of wild sorghum. Transcriptome analysis revealed that 1844 genes were upregulated and 2617 genes were downregulated in mucilage secreting roots. Amongst these 4461 differentially expressed genes, 82 genes belonged to glycosyltransferases and glucuronidation pathways. Sobic.010G120200, encoding a UDP-glycosyltransferase, was identified by both GWAS and transcriptome analysis as a candidate gene, which may be involved in the regulation of mucilage secretion in sorghum through a negative regulatory mechanism.

Effect of sodium thiazolinyl dithiopropane sulphonate (SH110) addition on electroplating nanotwinned copper films and their filling performance of fine-pitch redistributed layer (RDL).

Nanotwinned copper is a potential microelectronic interconnection material due to its superior strength and conductivity, however, its filling ability is urgently needed to improve before its application in the field of advanced packaging. The effect of additive (sodium thiazolinyl dithiopropane sulphonate, SH110) addition on the surface roughness, microstructure, mechanical properties and filling capacity of nanotwinned copper films was investigated. The surface roughness and grain size were firstly reduced then increased with the increasing concentrations of SH110, reaching the minimum value at 10 ppm. It was noticed that copper films with 10 ppm SH110 also possessed superior tensile strength and elongation, which were measured as 481 MPa and 3.68% on average of 12µm thick samples by dynamic thermo-mechanical analyzer. Further, their uniformity and flatness of redistributed layers (RDLs) were controlled as 2% and 1.9%, which were significantly improved compared to the samples without SH110 (7.6% and 4.7%). As demonstrated by linear sweep voltammetry analysis and galvanostatic measurement, the SH110 could cooperate well with gelatin and serve as a combination of accelerator and leveler, resulting in the improvement of filling capacity for nanotwinned copper RDLs.

Sweet Sorghum Originated through Selection of Dry, a Plant-Specific NAC Transcription Factor Gene.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is the fifth most popular crop worldwide and a C4 model plant. Domesticated sorghum comes in many forms, including sweet cultivars with juicy stems and grain sorghum with dry, pithy stems at maturity. The Dry locus, which controls the pithy/juicy stem trait, was discovered over a century ago. Here, we found that Dry gene encodes a plant-specific NAC transcription factor. Dry was either deleted or acquired loss-of-function mutations in sweet sorghum, resulting in cell collapse and altered secondary cell wall composition in the stem. Twenty-three Dry ancestral haplotypes, all with dry, pithy stems, were found among wild sorghum and wild sorghum relatives. Two of the haplotypes were detected in domesticated landraces, with four additional dry haplotypes with juicy stems detected in improved lines. These results imply that selection for Dry gene mutations was a major step leading to the origin of sweet sorghum. The Dry gene is conserved in major cereals; fine-tuning its regulatory network could provide a molecular tool to control crop stem texture.

Clinical features of hepatitis B patients at immune-tolerance phase with basal core promoter and/or precore mutations.

Little data exist on basal core promoter/precore (BCP/PC) mutations in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients at the immune-tolerance (IT) phase. We studied consecutive treatment-naïve, CHBe-antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients who had undergone liver biopsy and genotyping. Those in the IT phase or immune-clearance (IC) phase were enrolled for comparison of the frequency of BCP/PC mutations and their clinical presentations. Subgroup analyses for the IT group were also performed between patients with and without mutations, and IC patients between fibrosis stages ≤2 vs fibrosis >2. Among 301 patients enrolled, 88/301 (29.24%) and 213/301 (70.76%) were at the IT and IC phase, respectively. The frequency of BCP/PC mutations in IT phase was significantly lower than those in IC phase (15.91% vs 64.79%, P < .001). The BCP mutation only was significantly more frequent than the PC mutation in both groups and also in all IC subgroups. IT patients with BCP/PC mutations had significantly higher quantitative anti-HBc levels compared with those of patients with wild-type virus (P < .05). They also had significantly lower mean levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, total bilirubin and qAnti-HBc compared with those of IC patients (all P < .05). Additionally, they were significantly younger in mean age, had higher platelet count, higher levels of HBV DNA and surface antigen, as well as higher frequency of genotype B than those of IC patients with fibrosis >2 (all P < .05). BCP/PC mutations were found in IT patients with CHB. They had distinct clinical characteristics when compared with patients with wild-type or at IC phase. Further studies are needed to understand their natural history and treatment outcomes.

Focused ion beam preparation of microbeams for in situ mechanical analysis of electroplated nanotwinned copper with probe type indenters.

A site-specific xenon plasma focused ion beam preparation technique for microcantilever samples (1-20 µm width and 1:10 aspect ratio) is presented. The novelty of the methodology is the use of a chunk lift-out onto a clean silicon wafer to facilitate easy access of a low-cost probe type indenter which provides bending force measurement. The lift-out method allows sufficient room for the indenter and a line of sight for the electron beam to enable displacement measurement. An electroplated nanotwinned copper (NTC) was cut to a 3 × 3 × 25 µm microbeam and in situ mechanically tested using the developed technique. It demonstrated measured values of Youngs modulus of 78.7 ± 11 GPa and flow stress of 0.80 ± 0.05 GPa, which is within the ranges reported in the literature. LAY DESCRIPTION: In this paper a site specific method is present for making particularly small mechanical tests samples, of the order of 100th the size of a human hair. These small samples can then be used to determine the mechanical properties of the bulk material. Copper with a nano twinned grain structure is used as a test medium. Ion milling was used to cut the sample to shape and a micro probe was used for mechanical testing. Ion milling can cut away very small volumes of material as it accelerates ions at the surface of the sample, atomically machining the sample. Micro probes are a cost-effective small-scale load measurement devices, however, they require a large area for accessing the sample. The indenter requirements are a problem when making you samples with ion milling as ion millers are best at making small cuts. Our aim was to design a cutting strategy which reduces the amount of cutting required while allowing samples to be fabricated anywhere on the sample. We used a chunk lift out technique to remove a piece of material which is then welded to a wafer of silicon this gives sufficient space around the sample for ion milling and testing. The additional space allowed easy access for the probe. A 3 × 3 × 10 µm micro cantilever beam was cut out from copper, this beam was then bent. The force from bending and distance bent was measured and converted into Youngs modulus which is a measure of flexibility. The modulus value measured was comparable to the values reported in other papers.

Structure and properties of Sn-Cu lead-free solders in electronics packaging.

With the development of lead-free solders in electronic packaging, Sn-Cu lead-free solder has attracted wide attention due to its excellent comprehensive performance and low cost. In this article, we present recent developments in Sn-Cu lead-free solder alloys. From the microstructure and interfacial structure, the evolution law of the internal structure of solder alloy/solder joint was analysed, and the model and theory describing the formation/growth mechanism of interfacial IMC were introduced. In addition, the effects of alloying, particle strengthening and process methods on the properties of Sn-Cu lead-free solders, including wettability, melting and mechanical properties, were described. Finally, we outline the issues that need to be resolved in the future research.

Reliability issues of lead-free solder joints in electronic devices.

Electronic products are evolving towards miniaturization, high integration, and multi-function, which undoubtedly puts forward higher requirements for the reliability of solder joints in electronic packaging. Approximately 70% of failure in electronic devices originates during the packaging process, mostly due to the failure of solder joints. With the improvement of environmental protection awareness, lead-free solder joints have become a hot issue in recent years. This paper reviews the research progress on the reliability of lead-free solder joints and discusses the influence of temperature, vibration, tin whisker and electromigration on the reliability of solder joints. In addition, the measures to improve the reliability of solder joints are analyzed according to the problems of solder joints themselves, which provides a further theoretical basis for the study of the reliability of solder joints of electronic products in service.

Reaction Pathways and Kinetics of a Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin ß-N-Methylamino-L-Alanine (BMAA) during Chlorination.

ß-N-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), a probable cause of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/parkinsonism-dementia complex (ALS/PDC), or Alzheimer's disease, has been identified in more than 20 cyanobacterial genera. However, its removal and fate in drinking water has never been reported before. In this study, the reaction of BMAA with chlorine, a common drinking-water oxidant/disinfectant, was investigated. A liquid chromatograph coupled with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer was employed to quantify BMAA and its intermediates. Upon chlorination, four chlorinated intermediates, each with one or two chlorines, were identified. The disappearance of BMAA caused by chlorine follows a second-order reaction, with the rate constant k1 is 5.0 × 104 M-1 s-1 at pH ∼7.0. The chlorinated intermediates were found to further react with free chlorine, exhibiting a second-order rate constant k3 = 16.8 M-1 s-1. After all free chlorine was consumed, the chlorinated intermediates autodecomposed slowly with a first order rate constant k2 = 0.003 min-1; when a reductant was added, these chlorinated intermediates were then reduced back to BMAA. The results as described shed a useful light on the reactivity, appearance, and removal of BMAA in the chlorination process of a drinking-water system.

Low Temperature Sintering Cu6 Sn5 Nanoparticles for Superplastic and Super-uniform High Temperature Circuit Interconnections.

Brittle intermetallics such as Cu6 Sn5 can be transformed into low cost, nonbrittle, superplastic and high temperature-resistant interconnection materials by sintering at temperatures more than 200 °C lower than its bulk melting point. Confirmed via in situ TEM heating, the sintered structure is pore-free with nanograins, and the interface is super-uniform.

PAV markers in Sorghum bicolour: genome pattern, affected genes and pathways, and genetic linkage map construction.

KEY MESSAGE: 5,511 genic small-size PAVs in sorghum were identified and examined, including the pattern and the function enrichment of PAV genes. 325 PAV markers were developed to construct a genetic map. Presence/absence variants (PAVs) correlate closely to the phenotypic variation, by impacting plant genome sizes and the adaption to the environment. To shed more light on their genome-wide patterns, functions and the possibility of using them as molecular markers, we generated next generation genome sequencing data for four sorghum inbred lines and used associated bioinformatic pipelines to identify small-size PAVs (40-10 kb). Five thousand five hundreds and eleven genic PAVs (40-10 kb) were identified and found to affect 3,238 genes. These PAVs were mainly distributed on the sub-telomeric regions, but the highest proportions occurred in the vicinity of the centromeric regions. One of the prominent features of the PAVs is the high occurrence of long terminal repeats retrotransposons and DNA transposons. PAVs caused various alterations to gene structure, primarily including the coding sequence variants, intron variants, transcript ablation, and initiator codon changes. The genes affected by PAVs were significantly enriched in those involved in stress responses and protein modification. We used 325 PAVs polymorphic between two sorghum inbred lines Ji2731 and E-Tian, together with 49 SSR markers, and constructed a genetic map, which consisted of 10 linkage groups corresponding to the 10 chromosomes of sorghum and spanned 1,430.3 cM in length covering 97% of the physical genome. The resources reported here should be useful for genetic study and breeding of sorghum and related species.

Stability and genetic control of morphological, biomass and biofuel traits under temperate maritime and continental conditions in sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolour).

KEY MESSAGE: Eight morphological, biomass and biofuel traits were found with high broad-sense heritability and 18 significant QTLs discovered including one locus controlling the stem juice trait for sorghum grown in Denmark and China. Sweet sorghum with tall plant, fast maturation and high stem Brix content can be bred as a biofuel crop for Northern Europe. Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolour), a native tropical C4 crop, has attracted interest as a bioenergy crop in northern countries due to its juice-rich stem and high biomass production. Little is known about the traits important for its adaptation to high altitude climatic conditions and their genetic controls. Recombinant inbred lines derived from a cross between a sweet and a grain kaoliang sorghum were used in five field trials in Denmark and in China to identify the stability and genetic controls of morphological, biomass and biofuel traits during three consecutive summers with short duration, cool temperatures and long days. Eight out of 15 traits were found with high broad-sense heritability. Strong positive correlations between plant height and biomass traits were observed, while Brix and juice content were under different genetic controls. Using newly developed PAV (presence and absence variant) markers, 53 QTLs were detected, of which 18 were common for both countries, including a locus controlling stem juice (LOD score = 20.5, r (2) = 37.5 %). In Denmark, the heading stage correlated significantly with biomass and morphology traits, and two significant maturity QTLs detected on chromosomes SBI01 and SBI02 co-localised with QTLs previously associated with early-stage chilling tolerance, suggesting that accelerating maturation might be a means of coping with low-temperature stress. Our results suggest that selection for tall and fast maturating sorghum plants combined with high Brix content represents a high potential for breeding bioenergy crop for Northern Europe.

Low-temperature oxidation of CO catalysed by Co(3)O(4) nanorods.

Low-temperature oxidation of CO, perhaps the most extensively studied reaction in the history of heterogeneous catalysis, is becoming increasingly important in the context of cleaning air and lowering automotive emissions. Hopcalite catalysts (mixtures of manganese and copper oxides) were originally developed for purifying air in submarines, but they are not especially active at ambient temperatures and are also deactivated by the presence of moisture. Noble metal catalysts, on the other hand, are water tolerant but usually require temperatures above 100 degrees C for efficient operation. Gold exhibits high activity at low temperatures and superior stability under moisture, but only when deposited in nanoparticulate form on base transition-metal oxides. The development of active and stable catalysts without noble metals for low-temperature CO oxidation under an ambient atmosphere remains a significant challenge. Here we report that tricobalt tetraoxide nanorods not only catalyse CO oxidation at temperatures as low as -77 degrees C but also remain stable in a moist stream of normal feed gas. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy demonstrates that the Co(3)O(4) nanorods predominantly expose their {110} planes, favouring the presence of active Co(3+) species at the surface. Kinetic analyses reveal that the turnover frequency associated with individual Co(3+) sites on the nanorods is similar to that of the conventional nanoparticles of this material, indicating that the significantly higher reaction rate that we have obtained with a nanorod morphology is probably due to the surface richness of active Co(3+) sites. These results show the importance of morphology control in the preparation of base transition-metal oxides as highly efficient oxidation catalysts.

SbHKT1;4, a member of the high-affinity potassium transporter gene family from Sorghum bicolor, functions to maintain optimal Na⁺ /K⁺ balance under Na⁺ stress.

In halophytic plants, the high-affinity potassium transporter HKT gene family can selectively uptake K⁺ in the presence of toxic concentrations of Na⁺. This has so far not been well examined in glycophytic crops. Here, we report the characterization of SbHKT1;4, a member of the HKT gene family from Sorghum bicolor. Upon Na⁺ stress, SbHKT1;4 expression was more strongly upregulated in salt-tolerant sorghum accession, correlating with a better balanced Na⁺ /K⁺ ratio and enhanced plant growth. Heterogeneous expression analyses in mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Arabidopsis thaliana indicated that overexpressing SbHKT1;4 resulted in hypersensitivity to Na⁺ stress, and such hypersensitivity could be alleviated with the supply of elevated levels of K⁺, implicating that SbHKT1;4 may mediate K⁺ uptake in the presence of excessive Na⁺. Further electrophysiological evidence demonstrated that SbHKT1;4 could transport Na⁺ and K⁺ when expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. The relevance of the finding that SbHKT1;4 functions to maintain optimal Na⁺ /K⁺ balance under Na⁺ stress to the breeding of salt-tolerant glycophytic crops is discussed.

Genome-wide patterns of large-size presence/absence variants in sorghum.

The presence/absence variants (PAVs) are a major source of genome structural variation and have profound effects on phenotypic and genomic variation in animals and humans. However, little is understood about PAVs in plant genomes. Our previous resequencing effort on three sorghum (Sorghum bicolour L.) genomes, each 12× coverage, uncovered 5 364 PAVs. Here, we report a detailed characterization of 51 large-size (>30 kb) PAVs. These PAVs spanned a total size of 2.92 Mb of the sorghum genome containing 202 known and predicted genes, including 38 genes annotated to encode cell death and stress response genes. The PAVs varied considerably for repeat sequences and mobile elements with DNA transposons as the major components. The frequency and distribution of these PAVs differed substantially across 96 sorghum inbred lines, and the low- and high frequency PAVs differed in their gene categories. This report shed new light on the occurrence and diversity of PAVs in sorghum genomes. Our research exemplifies a new perspective to explore genome structural variation for genetic improvement in plant breeding.

Research Overview on the Electromigration Reliability of SnBi Solder Alloy.

Due to the continuous miniaturization and high current-carrying demands in the field of integrated circuits, as well as the desire to save space and improve computational capabilities, there is a constant drive to reduce the size of integrated circuits. However, highly integrated circuits also bring about challenges such as high current density and excessive Joule heating, leading to a series of reliability issues caused by electromigration. Therefore, the service reliability of integrated circuits has always been a concern. Sn-based solders are widely recognized in the industry due to their availability, minimal technical issues during operation, and good compatibility with traditional solders. However, solders that are mostly Sn-based, such as SAC305 and SnZn, have a high melting point for sophisticated electronic circuits. When Bi is added, the melting point of the solder decreases but may also lead to problems related to electromigration reliability. This article reviews the general principles of electromigration in SnBi solder joints on Cu substrates with current flow, as well as the phenomena of whisker formation, voids/cracks, phase separation, and resistance increase caused by atomic migration due to electromigration. Furthermore, it explores methods to enhance the reliability of solder joint by additives including Fe, Ni, Ag, Zn, Co, RA (rare earth element), GNSs (graphene nanosheets), FNS (Fullerene) and Al2O3. Additionally, modifying the crystal orientation within the solder joint or introducing stress to the joint can also improve its reliability to some extent without changing the composition conditions. The corresponding mechanisms of reliability enhancement are also compared and discussed among the literature.

Microstructural study on Kirkendall void formation in Sn-containing/Cu solder joints during solid-state aging.

Kirkendall void formation at the solder/metallization interface is an important reliability concern for Cu conductors and under-bump metallization in microelectronic packaging industry, whose mechanism is still hard to be understood for different individual cases. In the present work, two typical solder/Cu-diffusing couples, eutectic SnIn/Cu and SnBi/Cu, were studied by scanning/transmission electron microscopy to investigate the microstructural evolution and voiding process after soldering and then solid-state aging. It was concluded that Kirkendall voids formed between two sublayers within Cu2(In,Sn) phase in eutectic SnIn/Cu solder joint, whereas they appeared at the Cu3Sn/Cu interface or within Cu3Sn for eutectic SnBi/Cu solder joint. Besides the effect of impurity elements, the morphological difference within one intermetallic compound layer could change the diffusing rates of reactive species, hence resulting in void formation in the reaction zone.

[Spermatic cord seal-up injection for acute epididymitis: clinical observation of 56 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of spermatic cord seal-up injection on acute epididymitis and its mechanisms. METHODS: A total of 120 cases of acute epididymitis were allocated to a trial group (n = 56), aged 18 - 78 (38.4 +/- 9.6) years, and a control group (n = 64), aged 14 -82 (41.3 +/- 7.2) years. The patients in the trial group were given seal-up injections of a mixture of lidocaine, gentamicin (or Amikacin) and dexamethasone into the spermatic cord, qd or bid, for 2 courses of 5 days each, with an interval of 3 to 5 days. Those in the control group were treated by intravenous drip of penicillin, qd, intramuscular injection of Streptomycin, bid, and oral medication of SMZCo (SMZ-TMP), bid, with the initial dose doubled. After less than 2 weeks of treatment, we compared the therapeutic effects between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: In the trial group, 53.6% of the patients were basically cured, 37.5% obviously improved and 91.1% improved (total rate of effectiveness). The average treatment time for the improved cases was (9.2 +/- 0.5) d. In the control group, 40.6% of the patients were basically cured, 31.2% obviously improved and 71.8% improved (total rate of effectiveness). The average treatment time for the improved cases was (12.8 +/- 0.7) d. There were significant differences between the two groups in the total rate of effectiveness and the average treatment time for the improved cases (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Spermatic cord seal-up injection for acute epididymitis deserves wide clinical application for its simple operation, good tolerance, short therapeutic course and high safety and efficacy.

Research Progress of Electroplated Nanotwinned Copper in Microelectronic Packaging.

Copper is the most common interconnecting material in the field of microelectronic packaging, which is widely used in advanced electronic packaging technologies. However, with the trend of the miniaturization of electronic devices, the dimensions of interconnectors have decreased from hundreds of microns to tens of or even several microns, which has brought serious reliability issues. As a result, nanotwinned copper (nt-Cu) has been proposed as a potential candidate material and is being certified progressively. Firstly, the physical properties of nt-Cu have been widely studied. Notably, the higher thermal stability and oxidation resistance of the (111) texture causes nt-Cu to maintain excellent physical properties under high-temperature serving conditions. Secondly, recent works on the electrolyte and electroplating processes of nt-Cu on wafer substrates are summarized, focusing on how to reduce the thickness of the transition layer, improve the twin density, and achieve complicated pattern filling. Thirdly, nt-Cu can effectively eliminate Kirkendall voids when it serves as UBM or a CuP. Additionally, the high (111) texture can control the preferred orientation of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at the Cu-Sn interface, which should be helpful to improve the reliability of solder joints. nt-Cu has superior electromigration resistance and antithermal cycling ability compared to ordinary copper RDLs and TSVs. Above all, nt-Cu has attracted much attention in the field of microelectronic packaging in recent years. The preparation-performance-reliability interrelationship of nt-Cu is summarized and displayed in this paper, which provides a solid theoretical basis for its practical applications.

Clinical Features of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in the Non-Lean Population.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in non-lean patients is significantly increased, and obesity significantly increases the risk of cirrhosis and HCC in NAFLD patients. However, whether there is a difference in clinical manifestations of NAFLD between overweight and obesity remains unclear. The objective of this study was to assess the clinical and histological features of NAFLD among a non-lean population. METHODS: Current study enrolled consecutive non-lean (body mass index [BMI] >23 kg/m2) patients with NAFLD and available liver biopsy results. Patients were stratified by BMI into two groups for the comparison of their clinical and histological variables, which included the overweight (BMI 23∼<28 kg/m2) and the obese (BMI ≥28 kg/m2). Risk factors for moderate to severe fibrosis (stage >1) were also analyzed through the logistic regression model. RESULTS: Among 184 non-lean patients with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease enrolled, 65 and 119 were overweight and obese, respectively. Patients in the obesity group had a significantly lower level of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, higher levels of platelet, glucose, prothrombin time, and more common of moderate to severe inflammatory activity when compared to those in the overweight group. However, a significant low frequency of moderate to severe fibrosis was found in the obesity group versus the overweight group (19.33% vs. 40.00%, p = 0.002). Binary logistics regression analysis of fibrosis found that aspartate transaminase (AST), BMI, alanine transaminase (ALT), and cholesterol (CHOL) were independent predictors for moderate to severe fibrosis in non-lean patients with NAFLD. Compared with the traditional fibrosis-4 (AUC = 0.77) and aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (AUC = 0.79) indexes, the combined index based on AST, BMI, ALT, and CHOL was more accurate in predicting moderate to severe fibrosis in non-lean patients with NAFLD (AUC = 0.87). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical and histological features differed between obesity and overweight patients with NAFLD. When compared to the traditional serum markers, the combination index including AST, BMI, ALT, and CHOL provided a better model to predict moderate to severe fibrosis in non-lean patients with NAFLD.