Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined as the increase of intrahepatic triglyceride content in the absence of alcohol abuse. NAFLD has become the most prevalent liver disorder in industrialized countries; liver damage may range from simple fatty liver to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which is associated with increased liver-related mortality due to cirrhotic and tumorigenic evolution. It is estimated that NASH is going to be the leading cause for liver transplantation in western countries in the next few years. Apart from liver morbidity, patients with NASH are also at increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, although the molecular determinants of this association remain to be identified; however, NASH is emerging not merely as a marker of metabolic impairment but appears to be actively involved in endothelial dysfunction, atherogenesis, and a prothrombotic tendency. Thus, identifying people who have NASH rather than simple fatty liver is of upmost importance; this has led to the development of several noninvasive tools for the assessment of NASH and fibrosis, although there is still a need to find more accurate and cheaper tests and methods. A further challenge for the clinician involved in the management of the patients with NASH is treatment. Not all patients are compliant with lifestyle modifications and several pharmacological treatments have been proposed so far; however, many treatments have been reported to have limited efficacy and safety.

We invite both basic and clinical investigators to contribute original research articles as well as review articles that will help in understanding the pathogenesis and the clinical management of NASH.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Incidence and prevalence of fatty liver and NASH
• Pathogenesis: molecular pathways involved in steatogenesis and fibrogenesis
• Metabolic consequences of NASH, with special emphasis on the role of gut-liver axis and liver-adipose tissue crosstalk
• Cardiovascular dysfunction in patients of NASH, with special emphasis on the role of the liver in glucose and lipid homeostasis
• Lifestyle modifications for the treatment of NASH, including dietary aspects and physical activity approaches
• Pharmacological treatments, including antioxidants, insulin sensitizing agents, novel drugs, and bariatric surgery