Pediatrics & Neonatology
Volume 51, Issue 3 , Pages 149-154, June 2010

Risk Factors for Liver Steatosis in Obese Children and Adolescents

  • Yu-Cheng Lin

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei County, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Pediatrics, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, 21 Nanya Road South, Section 2, Pan-Chiao, Taipei County, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Pi-Feng Chang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei County, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Shu-Jen Yeh

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei County, Taiwan
    • Institute of Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Kevin Liu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pediatrics, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei County, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Hui-Chi Chen

      Affiliations

    • Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan

Received 27 October 2008; received in revised form 5 May 2009; accepted 19 May 2009.

Article Outline

Background

Concurrent with the recent rise of the incidence in obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is increasingly prevalent in childhood. The aim of this study was to identify non-invasive biomarkers for liver steatosis in obese children and adolescents.

Methods

We used a cross-sectional study to examine risk factors for liver steatosis in obese children and adolescents. Sixty-nine obese subjects aged 6–17 years were recruited. The diagnosis of liver steatosis was made by liver ultrasonography. Anthropometric, serum biochemical variables, and oral glucose tolerance tests were measured.

Results

Thirty-eight (55.1%) subjects had liver steatosis. Elevated alanine aminotransferase levels (> 30 IU/L in boys and >19 IU/L in girls) were found in 27 (71.1%) of the 38 subjects with liver steatosis. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, liver steatosis was associated with waist circumference and the change of plasma glucose level before and after oral glucose tolerance testing (C-OGTT). For every 5 cm increase in waist circumference, there was an odds ratio of 1.391 for predicting liver steatosis (95% confidence interval: 1.009–1.916, p = 0.044). C-OGTT was the only laboratory variable that independently predicted liver steatosis, with an odds ratio of 1.198 (95% confidence interval: 1.022–1.404, p = 0.026) for each 5 mg/dL of increase.

Conclusion

In this hospital-based sample of obese children and adolescents, liver steatosis was common. Liver steatosis was positively associated waist circumference and C-OGTT. These findings have implications for screening liver steatosis in obese children and adolescents.

Key Words:  glucose tolerance , liver steatosis , obesity , waist circumference

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PII: S1875-9572(10)60028-9

doi:10.1016/S1875-9572(10)60028-9

Pediatrics & Neonatology
Volume 51, Issue 3 , Pages 149-154, June 2010

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