Metabolic and genetic markers’ associations with elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase in adolescents
-
Guadalupe Ramírez-López
,
Segundo Morán-Villota
Abstract
Background:
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common chronic liver disease in adolescents, is a feature of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Obesity and insulin resistance (IR) are risk factors for NAFLD, as well as inflammation-related genetic markers. The relationship between metabolic or inflammation-related genetic markers and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is not fully understood. We examined the relationship of MetS, metabolic and inflammation-related genetic markers with elevated ALT in adolescents.
Methods:
A total of 674 adolescents participated in a cross-sectional study in Guadalajara, Mexico. Elevated ALT (>40 IU/L), a surrogate marker of NAFLD, and MetS (International Diabetes Federation definition) were evaluated. Obesity, IR, lipids, C-reactive protein (CRP) and genetic markers (TNFA-308G>A, CRP+1444C>T, IL1RN and IL6-597/-572/-174 haplotype) were evaluated. Multivariate logistic regression was performed.
Results:
Elevated ALT was observed in 3% and 14.1% (total and obese, respectively) of the adolescents. Obesity (odds ratio [OR], 5.86; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.16–25.89), insulin (OR, 8.51; 95% CI, 2.61–27.71), IR (OR, 9.10; 95% CI, 2.82–29.38), total cholesterol (TC) (OR, 3.67; 95% CI, 1.25–10.72), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) (OR, 3.06; 95% CI, 1.06–8.33), non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (OR, 3.88; 95% CI, 1.27–11.90) and IL1RN (OR, 4.64; 95% CI, 1.10–19.53) were associated with elevated ALT. Among males, ≥2 MetS criteria were associated with elevated ALT (OR, 4.22; 95% CI, 1.14–15.71).
Conclusions:
Obesity, insulin, IR, high TC, high LDL-C, high non-HDL-C and IL1RN polymorphism were associated with elevated ALT. Among males, ≥2 MetS criteria were associated with elevated ALT. There is an urgent need to reduce obesity and IR in adolescents to prevent NAFLD.
Acknowledgments
This study was financed by CONACYT (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología), Funder Id: 10.13039/501100003141, Grant 37951-M. We thank the students, their parents, the school personnel and those involved in the data collection.
Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: None declared.
Employment or leadership: None declared.
Honorarium: None declared.
Competing interests: The funding organization(s) played no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the report for publication.
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©2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Original Articles
- HbA1c levels in children with type 1 diabetes and correlation to diabetic retinopathy
- Relationship between urinary sodium-creatinine ratios and insulin resistance in Korean children and adolescents with obesity
- Prevalence of comorbid conditions pre-existing and diagnosed at a tertiary care pediatric weight management clinic
- The relationship between diet quality and insulin resistance in obese children: adaptation of the Healthy Lifestyle-Diet Index in Turkey
- Outcomes of mitochondrial derived diseases: a single-center experience
- Metabolic and genetic markers’ associations with elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase in adolescents
- Phenotypic presentation of adolescents with overt primary hypothyroidism
- Growth velocity and biological variables during puberty in achondroplasia
- Employing a results-based algorithm to reduce laboratory utilization in ACTH stimulation testing
- Investigating the changes in amino acid values in premature infants: a pilot study
- A hierarchical Bayesian tri-variate analysis on factors associated with anthropometric measures in a large sample of children and adolescents: the CASPIAN-IV study
- Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome: clinical and biochemical correlates
- Case Reports
- Sporadic pediatric papillary thyroid carcinoma harboring the ETV6/NTRK3 fusion oncogene in a 7-year-old Japanese girl: a case report and review of literature
- Hypercalcemia, hyperkalemia and supraventricular tachycardia in a patient with subcutaneous fat necrosis
- Late presentation of glycogen storage disease types Ia and III in children with short stature and hepatomegaly
- A novel paraneoplastic syndrome with acquired lipodystrophy and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in an adolescent male with craniopharyngioma
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Original Articles
- HbA1c levels in children with type 1 diabetes and correlation to diabetic retinopathy
- Relationship between urinary sodium-creatinine ratios and insulin resistance in Korean children and adolescents with obesity
- Prevalence of comorbid conditions pre-existing and diagnosed at a tertiary care pediatric weight management clinic
- The relationship between diet quality and insulin resistance in obese children: adaptation of the Healthy Lifestyle-Diet Index in Turkey
- Outcomes of mitochondrial derived diseases: a single-center experience
- Metabolic and genetic markers’ associations with elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase in adolescents
- Phenotypic presentation of adolescents with overt primary hypothyroidism
- Growth velocity and biological variables during puberty in achondroplasia
- Employing a results-based algorithm to reduce laboratory utilization in ACTH stimulation testing
- Investigating the changes in amino acid values in premature infants: a pilot study
- A hierarchical Bayesian tri-variate analysis on factors associated with anthropometric measures in a large sample of children and adolescents: the CASPIAN-IV study
- Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome: clinical and biochemical correlates
- Case Reports
- Sporadic pediatric papillary thyroid carcinoma harboring the ETV6/NTRK3 fusion oncogene in a 7-year-old Japanese girl: a case report and review of literature
- Hypercalcemia, hyperkalemia and supraventricular tachycardia in a patient with subcutaneous fat necrosis
- Late presentation of glycogen storage disease types Ia and III in children with short stature and hepatomegaly
- A novel paraneoplastic syndrome with acquired lipodystrophy and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in an adolescent male with craniopharyngioma
