Body composition variables as predictors of NAFLD by ultrasound in obese children and adolescents

Abstract

BackgroundNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a disorder associated with excessive fat accumulation, mainly in the intra-abdominal region. A simple technique to estimate abdominal fat in this region could be useful to assess the presence of NAFLD, in obese subjects who are more vulnerable to this disease. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to verify the reliability of waist circumference and body composition variables to identify the occurrence of NAFLD in obese children and adolescents.MethodsSample was composed of 145 subjects, aged 11 to 17 years. Assessments of waist circumference (WC), trunk fat mass (TFM) and fat mass (FM) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and ultrasound for diagnosis of NAFLD and intra-abdominal adipose tissue (IAAT) were used. Correlation between variables was made by Spearman’s coefficients; ROC curve parameters (sensitivity, specificity, area under curve) were used to assess the reliability of body composition variables to assess the presence of NAFLD. Statistical significance was set at 5%.ResultsSignificant correlations were observed between NAFLD and WC (p = 0.001), TFM (p = 0.002) and IAAT (p = 0.001). The higher values of area under the ROC curve were for WC (AUC = 0.720), TFM (AUC = 0.661) and IAAT (AUC = 0.741).ConclusionsOur findings indicated that TFM, IAAT and WC present high potential to identify NAFLD in obese children and adolescents.

Fatty Liver Index (FLI) in Predicting Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

“…However, in the study of Motamed et al, similar to our study, the AUC of FLI was almost similar to WC (25). This can be due to abdominal fat, and so WC is an important factor in predicting NAFLD (26).…”

Characterisation of betatrophin concentrations in childhood and adolescent obesity and insulin resistance

“…Furthermore, Peng et al (8) showed that the liver expressed the highest levels of betatrophin in humans, whereas expression was lower in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. Additional studies demonstrated that hyperinsulinaemia could accelerate NAFLD in obesity, which subsequently might result in insulin resistance via mechanisms including inflammation and unsaturated fatty acids (24,32,33). Moreover, the prevalence of NAFLD in the insulin-resistant group was significantly higher than that in the non-insulin-resistant group.…”

Metabolic Syndrome is the Problem in Young Diabetics?

“…NAFLD is a disease associated with excessive accumulation of fat, particularly within the abdominal cavity. Monteiro et al in a research conducted in a sample composed of 145 subjects, aged 11 to 17 years, pointed out the usefulness of indicators such as assessment of waist circumference (WC), trunk fat mass (TFM) and fat mass (FM) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and ultrasound (US) for diagnosis of NAFLD [51]. Their findings indicated that TFM, IAAT and WC present high potential to identify NAFLD in obese children and adolescents.…”

“…Indicators such as assessment of waist circumference (WC), trunk fat mass (TFM), fat mass (FM) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and ultrasound (US) are useful for diagnosis of NAFLD [51].…”