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Abstract
Lipodystrophy is a group of clinically heterogeneous, inherited or acquired, disorders
characterized by complete or partial absence of subcutaneous adipose tissue that may
occur simultaneously with the pathological, ectopic, accumulation of fat in other
regions of the body, including the liver. Fatty liver adds significantly to hepatic
and extra-hepatic morbidity in patients with lipodystrophy. Lipodystrophy is strongly
associated with severe insulin resistance and related comorbidities, such as hyperglycemia,
hyperlipidemia and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but other hepatic diseases
may co-exist in some types of lipodystrophy, including autoimmune hepatitis in acquired
lipodystrophies, or viral hepatitis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated
lipodystrophy. The aim of this review is to summarize evidence linking lipodystrophy
with hepatic disease and to provide a special focus on potential therapeutic perspectives
of leptin replacement therapy and adiponectin upregulation in lipodystrophy.