Endocrine status of adolescent girls with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and obesity

Abstract

Along with the increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity, diseases associated with unhealthy morbid obesity, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), are also on the rise. How NAFLD affects the hormonal profile in adolescent girls has not been studied enough. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the features of the endocrine status of adolescent girls with NAFLD and obesity. Material and methods. From 2010 to 2020, 300 patients aged 12–17 years were monitored, including 120 patients with NAFLD and metabolically unhealthy obesity and 180 conditionally somatically healthy girls with normal sexual development with normal body weight. Clinical examination, biochemical assessment of the functional state of the liver and its morphostructure were performed. Determination of the level of peripheral blood serum hormones was performed by immunochemical method with chemiluminescent detection. Results. Endocrine status of girls with NAFLD and obesity was characterized by an increase in luteinizing hormone (LH) - 9.89 ± 0.18 vs. 5.13 ± 0.08 μIU / ml (p<0.01); follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) - 5.50 ± 0.16 vs. 5.40 ± 0.07 μIU / ml (p<0.01); the ratio of LH / FSH - 1.91 ± 0.05 vs. 0.98 ± 0.02 (p<0.01); prolactin - 327.73 ± 7.15 vs. 282.93 ± 8.36 μIU / ml (p<0.01); thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) - 3.36 ± 0.07 vs. 2.15 ± 0.05 μIU / ml (p<0.01); decrease in estradiol level - 124.15 ± 2.39 vs. 437.45 ± 9.59 pmol / ml (p<0.01); progesterone - 1.49 ± 0.09 vs. 2.78 ± 0.08 nmol / ml (p<0.01); increase in the level of free testosterone - 1.96 ± 0.10 vs. 1.16 ± 0.04 nmol / l (p <0.01); free triiodothyronine - 4.41 ± 0.12 vs. 5.46 ± 0.07 pmol / l (p<0.01); free thyroxine - 14.61 ± 0.41 vs. 18.55 ± 0.20 pmol / l (p<0.01). Conclusions. Endocrine status of girls with NAFLD and unhealthy morbid obesity during puberty is characterized by increased secretion of gonadotropins, prolactin and TSH, decreased levels of estradiol, progesterone, thyroid hormones against the background of a moderate increase of androgens, insulin and insulin resistance.