Pediatr Gastroenterol Hepatol Nutr.  2019 Sep;22(5):470-478. 10.5223/pghn.2019.22.5.470.

Role of Soluble Adiponectin Receptor 2 in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Children

• Aksoy GK
• Artan R
• Aksoy C
• Özdem S
• Atalay A
• Yılmaz A

• KMID: 2457749
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5223/pghn.2019.22.5.470

Abstract

PURPOSE
The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children is gradually increasing. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of serum adiponectin and soluble adiponectin receptor 2 (soluble Adipo R2) levels for the diagnosis of fatty liver disease in obese and overweight children.
METHODS
The study included 51 obese and overweight children between the ages of 6 and 18 years diagnosed with NAFLD using ultrasonography and 20 children without fatty liver disease. Patients whose alanine transaminase level was two times higher than normal (≥80 U/L) were included in the non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) group.
RESULTS
NASH was observed in 11 (21.6%) of the patients with NAFLD. The incidence of obesity was higher in patients with NASH (80% and 45%, p=0.021). While the adiponectin levels were similar in patients with NAFLD and those without, they were below the normal level in the whole study group. Adiponectin and soluble Adipo R2 levels of patients with NASH were lower than those in patients without NASH; however, this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.064 and p=0.463). Soluble Adipo R2 levels in obese patients with NAFLD were higher than those in obese children without NAFLD (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION
Soluble adiponectin receptor 2 level is a noninvasive marker that can be used for the diagnosis of NAFLD in obese children.

Keyword

Adiponectin; Adiponectin receptors; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Obesity; Fatty liver

MeSH Terms

Adiponectin*
Alanine Transaminase
Child*
Diagnosis
Fatty Liver
Humans
Incidence
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease*
Obesity
Overweight
Receptors, Adiponectin*
Ultrasonography
Adiponectin
Alanine Transaminase
Receptors, Adiponectin

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Comparison of mean soluble adiponectin receptor 2 levels between obese children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and children without NAFLD (47.58±37.58 ng/mL vs. 10.57±11.32 ng/mL, p<0.001).

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