The Association of Elevated Alanine Aminotransferase and the Metabolic Syndrome in an Overweight and Obese Pediatric Population of Multi-ethnic Origin

Overview

Journal Eur J Pediatr

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2008 Aug 13

PMID 18696112

Citations 14

Authors

Mariska van Vliet

Ines A von Rosenstiel

Roger K Schindhelm

Desiderius P M Brandjes

Jos H Beijnen

Michaela Diamant

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We studied the association between alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and features of the metabolic syndrome in a cohort of overweight and obese children aged 3-18 years. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed in 443 consecutive children from an obesity out-patient clinic (median age 11.2, range 3.1-18.0 years; n=240 boys) of multi-ethnic origin. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, elevated ALT (>30 IU/L), and the association of ALT with (components of) the metabolic syndrome was assessed. The metabolic syndrome was present in 26.9%. Elevated ALT levels were found in 20.3%, with a higher prevalence in boys than in girls (25.8% versus 13.8%, P<0.001). ALT was associated with the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, high triglycerides, and low HDL-cholesterol after adjustment for gender, age, and BMI. In conclusion, elevated ALT levels were highly prevalent and associated with the metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, high triglycerides, and low HDL-cholesterol in an obese multiethnic pediatric population.

Citing Articles

Prevalence of Elevated Alanine Aminotransferase by Diagnostic Criterion, Age, and Gender among Adolescents.

Zhang J, Wang Z, Zhang J, Zhou H, Ding Z Gastroenterol Res Pract. 2020; 2020:4240380.

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Revision of serum ALT upper limits of normal facilitates assessment of mild liver injury in obese children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Lu Y, Wang Q, Yu L, Yin X, Yang H, Xu X J Clin Lab Anal. 2020; 34(7):e23285.

PMID: 32267017 PMC: 7370732. DOI: 10.1002/jcla.23285.

Screening for elevated risk of liver disease in preschool children (aged 2-5 years) being seen for obesity management.

Beacher D, Ariza A, Fishbein M, Binns H SAGE Open Med. 2016; 2:2050312114555211.

PMID: 26770745 PMC: 4607231. DOI: 10.1177/2050312114555211.

Metabolic syndrome is common and persistent in youth-onset type 2 diabetes: Results from the TODAY clinical trial.

Weinstock R, Drews K, Caprio S, Leibel N, McKay S, Zeitler P Obesity (Silver Spring). 2015; 23(7):1357-61.

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Metabolic syndrome components in obese Egyptian children.

Zaki M, Mohamed S, Bahgat K, Kholoussi S Ann Saudi Med. 2013; 32(6):603-10.

PMID: 23396024 PMC: 6081115. DOI: 10.5144/0256-4947.2012.603.

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