title: The association of elevated alanine aminotransferase and the metabolic syndrome in an overweight and obese pediatric population of multi-ethnic origin.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Slotervaart Hospital, Louwesweg 6, 1066 EC Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ma.vanvliet@vumc.nl
authors.forename: Mariska
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Vliet
authors.forename: Inès A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: von Rosenstiel
authors.forename: Roger K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Schindhelm
authors.forename: Desiderius P M
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Brandjes
authors.forename: Jos H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Beijnen
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diamant
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D050177:Overweight; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000410:Alanine Transaminase