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El hígado graso no alcohólico (HGNA) es una complicación frecuente en pacientes obesos y se correlaciona con insulino resistencia (IR) y diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2). Alanino aminotransferasa (ALT) se ha reconocido como un marcador bioquímico de HGNA y es utilizada para tamizaje de esta enfermedad. Objetivos: Evaluar la asociación entre niveles plasmáticos de aminotransaminasas, con variables antropométricas, marcadores de insulino resistencia e inflamación en población pediátrica. Sujetos y Métodos: Se estudiaron 348 sujetos (52,7% mujeres), con edades entre los 4,9 y 15,6 años. Se realizó antropometría y determinación sérica de: Aspartato aminotransferasa (AST), ALT, glicemia, insulina, perfil lipídico, PCR us, TNF-α, IL-6 y adiponectina. Se calculó el hOmA-IR, QUICKI y el HOMA-β. Los resultados se expresaron como mediana y rango intercuartil. Las variables fueron transformadas Log10 previo estudio con correlación de Pearson. Resultados: ALT se correlacionó positivamente con: IMC-puntaje z (r = 0,335), razón cintura / talla (r = 0,358), insulina (r = 0,33), HOMA-IR (r = 0,33), HOMA-β (r = 0,26), TG /HDL-Col (r = 0,2), PCR us (r = 0,3) y negativamente con QUICKI (r= -0,25) y adiponectina (r = -0,113). No fueron significativas las correlaciones de ALT con glicemia, TNF-α e IL-6. Conclusión: En este estudio demostramos que ALT, se correlacionó significativamente con insulino resistencia y marcadores de inflamación, todos ellos son reconocidos como factores de riesgo para pre-diabetes. ALT debe ser parte de la evaluación de todo niño obeso, especialmente en aquellos con otros riesgos cardiometabólicos, dado que podría predecir desarrollo posterior de DM2. Estudio de imágenes son necesarios para confirmar presencia de HGNA en esta población.

Pediatric obesity has increased dramatically all over the world and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most frequent complications associated with excess adiposity. NAFLD causes serum transaminase elevation and liver disease, which could end up in fibrosis, cirrhosis and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD seems to be associated with the metabolic complications of obesity, mainly insulin resistance. The aim of the present article is to review the role of serum liver enzyme assessment as a suitable non invasive predictor of NAFLD in children. Although serum liver enzyme elevation does not accurately measure liver damage, it may be a valuable and non invasive test to screen NAFLD in children and adolescents and a marker to control NAFLD evolution. To detect NAFLD in obese children and adolescents, transaminases serum concentrations should be routinely determined in these patients. In this sense, it seems necessary to obtain transaminase reference standards for children and adolescents.La prevalencia de obesidad en niños ha aumentado considerablemente en todo el mundo y el hígado graso no alcohólico (HGNA) es una de las complicaciones más frecuentemente asociadas al exceso de adiposidad. El HGNA provoca elevación de las transaminasas hepáticas y una alteración hepática que pueden desencadenar fibrosis, cirrosis e incluso malignización. El HGNA aparece asociado a las complicaciones metabólicas de la obesidad, sobre todo a la resistencia a la insulina. El objetivo del presente artículo es revisar el rol que tienen las enzimas hepáticas como predictor no invasivo del HGNA en niños. Aunque la elevación de las enzimas hepáticas no valora con exactitud el daño hepático, pueden suponer un test no invasivo para el screening del HGNA en niños y adolescentes y un marcador de su evolución. Las transaminasas hepáticas deben ser determinadas de rutina en el diagnóstico del HGNA en niños y adolescentes. En este sentido, parece necesario encontrar unos estándares de referencia para los niveles de transaminasas en niños y adolescentes.

Background: clinical data on impact of the Mediterranean diet on the the stage of non alcoholic fatty liver disease are limited and these studies have heterogeneous designs.Aim: we decide to explore any potential associations between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and histological characteristics of patients with NAFLD.Methods: a sample of 82 patients was analyzed in a cross sectional study. To evaluate the level of adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern the 14-Item Mediterranean Diet Assessment Tool was used.Results: thirty five patients (42.7%) had a low grade of steatosis (grade 1 of classification) and 47 patients (57.3%) had a high grade of steatosis (grade 2 and 3). Fifty-six patients (68.3%) had liver steatohepatitis and forty-two patients (51.2%) had liver fibrosis. In the logistic regresion analysis, one unit of the 14-Item Mediterranean Diet Assessment Tool was associated with a lower likehood of having steatohepatitis odds ratio 0.43 (CI:95%: 0.29-0.64) and steatosis 0.42 (CI:95%: 0.26- 0.70). Secondly, one unit of HOMA-IR was associated with higher likehood of having steatosis odds ratio 2.01 (CI:95%: 1.08-3.71) and liver fibrosis 1.38 (CI:95%: 1.10-1.80) .Conclusions: greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with lower likelihood of high grade of steatosis and presence of steatohepatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Morbidly obese patients usually present vitamin D deficiency or secondary hyperparathyroidism. Low vitamin I) levels have been recently related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between vitamin I), bone turnover markers and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome in severely obese patients. Methods: One hundred and ten patients who underwent bariatric surgery were included. Liver biopsy was taken during surgery. Two univariate analyses were carried out in order to i) analyse the relationship between liver histology and vitamin D-bone turnover markers (intact parathyroid hormone (PTH), osteocalcin and Carboxy-terminal collagen crosslinks) and ii) establish the association between metabolic syndrome components-insulin resistance (HOMA) and vitamin D-bone turnover markers. Results: 70% of the patients had lower levels of vitamin D or secondary hyperparathyroidism. None of the components of liver histology were associated with levels of vitamin D or with bone turnover parameters. Patients with metabolic syndrome showed lower levels of PTH and osteocalcin (72,42 (29,47) vs 61.25(19.59) p-Value: 0.022; 19.79 (10.43) vs 16.87(10.25) p-Value: 0,028, respectively). HOMA was not related to Vitamin D or bone turnover markers. Conclusion: Low levels of vitamin 1) or hyperparathyroidism are common in severely obese patients. Vitamin D and bone metabolism markers were associated neither to NAFLD nor with metabolic syndrome in our series of obese morbid patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with obesity, insulin resistance (IR) and increased type 2 diabetes (T2D). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is recognized as biochemical marker of NAFLD, currently used as screening for this disease. Objective: To estimate the associations between (ALT) with anthropometric variables, insulin resistance and inflamatory markers in pediatric population. Patients and Method: we studied 348 subjects (52.7% females), aged between 4.9 and 15.6 years. Blood samples for measuring: AST, ALT, glycaemia, insulin, lipid profile, hsCRP TNF-α, IL-6 and adiponectin. We calculate HOMA-IR, QUICKI y el HOMA-β. The results are expressed are expressed as median interquartile range. Variables were log10 transformed before Pearson correlations analyze. Results: Serum ALT levels were positively associated with BMI-SDS (r = 0.335), waist/ height ratio (r = 0.358), insulin (r = 0.33), HOMA-IR (r = 0.33), HOMA-β (r = 0.26), TG/HDL-c (r = 0.2) , hsCRP (r = 0.3); and a negative association with QUICKI (r = -0.25) and adiponectin (r = -0.113). Non-association with ALT, glycaemia, TNF-α and IL-6 was found. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that ALT, but not AST, was significantly correlated with of insulin resistance and inflamatory markers, all of them recognized as risk parameters of pre diabetes stage. ALT should be part of the evaluation of all obesity children, mainly those with other cardiometabolic risk factors, since it could predict later development of T2DM. Further imaging studies are necessary to confirm fatty liver disease in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pediatric obesity has increased dramatically all over the world and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most frequent complications associated with excess adiposity. NAFLD causes serum transaminase elevation and liver disease, which could end up in fibrosis, cirrhosis and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD seems to be associated with the metabolic complications of obesity, mainly insulin resistance. The aim of the present article is to review the role of serum liver enzyme assessment as a suitable non invasive predictor of NAFLD in children. Although serum liver enzyme elevation does not accurately measure liver damage, it may be a valuable and non invasive test to screen NAFLD in children and adolescents and a marker to control NAFLD evolution. To detect NAFLD in obese children and adolescents, transaminases serum concentrations should be routinely determined in these patients. In this sense, it seems necessary to obtain transaminase reference standards for children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pediatric obesity has increased dramatically all over the world and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most frequent complications associated with excess adiposity. NAFLD causes serum transaminase elevation and liver disease, which could end up in fibrosis, cirrhosis and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD seems to be associated with the metabolic complications of obesity, mainly insulin resistance. The aim of the present article is to review the role of serum liver enzyme assessment as a suitable non invasive predictor of NAFLD in children. Although serum liver enzyme elevation does not accurately measure liver damage, it may be a valuable and non invasive test to screen NAFLD in children and adolescents and a marker to control NAFLD evolution. To detect NAFLD in obese children and adolescents, transaminases serum concentrations should be routinely determined in these patients. In this sense, it seems necessary to obtain transaminase reference standards for children and adolescents.