Relationship among fatty liver, adipose tissue distribution and metabolic profile in moderately obese children

Abstract

We examined the relationship between moderate obesity and glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity and suspected fatty liver.Methodsz‐score body mass index( zBMI), caliper skinfold tickness, fasting blood glucose, insulin, HOMA score, lipid profile and transaminases (ALT, AST) were measured in 94 participants (mean age 9.7 ±2.2 years). Fatty liver and skinfold tickness were evaluated by ultrasound.ResultsThe zBMI was 2.01 ± 0.39 (mean ± SD), and the duration of obesity was 4.3±3.03 years. Caliper and US skinfold thickness correlated for tricipital (r = 0.33; p= 0.003) and sovrailiac skinfold (r= 0.34; p=0.003). Fatty liver was diagnosed in 64% of children and it was positively related to anthropometric measurements. The three groups ‐ group 0 (normal US liver and normal transaminases); group 1 (US fatty liver and normal transaminases); group 2 (US fatty liver and elevated transaminases) showed difference in zBMI , insulin and HOMA parameters (Tukey test: zBMI group 1 vs group 0 and 2 vs group 0; serum insulin: group 2 vs group 1 and group 2 vs group 0; HOMA IR: group 2 vs group 1 and group 2 vs group 0).DiscussionModerately obese children with steatosis exhibited a clear increase of insulin and insulin resistance, indices of a future metabolic syndrome. Transaminases levels seems to be not adequate for the diagnosis of fatty liver.