Intima-media thickness of carotid artery and susceptibility to atherosclerosis in obese children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
OBJECTIVE
To test, via prospective case-control study, whether measurements of carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) reflect the susceptibility to atherosclerosis in obese children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.


METHODS
In all, 80 obese asymptomatic normotensive adolescents (body mass index [BMI], 29.12 +/- 5.13; 8.5-17.5 years) and 30 age- and sex-matched nonobese healthy children (BMI 18.55 +/- 2.24). Children were analysed in 4 groups: Controls formed group 1, 26 children with obesity without hepatosteatosis formed group 2, 32 children with grade 1 hepatosteatosis formed group 3, and 22 children with grade 2 or 3 hepatosteatosis formed group 4. The key parameters were BMI, liver function tests, lipid profiles, glucose, hepatic ultrasonography, and IMT of common carotid artery (CCA), left carotid bulbus (CB), and left internal carotid artery (ICA).


RESULTS
Comparisons of IMT measurements of left CCA, left CB, and left ICA between controls and obesity group revealed statistically significant differences (each segment P < 0.0001). There was an increase in the mean of IMT of each segment with the increase in hepatosteatosis grade (each segment P < 0.0001). The relation between the mean of IMT of left CCA, left CB, and left ICA with BMI (P = 0.001, r = 0.318), alanine aminotransferase (P = 0.007, r = 0.256), and hepatosteatosis (P < 0.0001, r = 0.470) was significant. Multiple regression analysis between left CCA, left CB, and left ICA, and age, sex, relative weight, alanine aminotransferase, total cholesterol, obesity, and hepatosteatosis grade was significant for only hepatosteatosis grade.


CONCLUSIONS
The cIMT is significantly higher, increasing susceptibility to atherosclerosis, in obese children with hepatosteatosis than in healthy children or obese children without hepatosteatosis.
Demircioğlu
Fatih
F
Department of Pediatrics, Dokuz Eylül University Medical School, Izmir, Turkey. fatih.demircioglu@deu.edu.tr
Koçyiğit
Ali
A
Arslan
Nur
N
Cakmakçi
Handan
H
Hizli
Samil
S
Sedat
Alparslan Tuncel
AT
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology