Usefulness of GPT for diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in obese Japanese children.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) levels in the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (MS) in obese Japanese children.


METHODS
We examined 193 obese boys (mean age: 12.1 yrs; mean percent overweight [POW]: 53.9%) and 37 obese girls (mean age: 11.4 yrs; mean POW: 57.2%). Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure and levels of liver transaminases, serum lipids and lipoproteins, fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum insulin and adiponectin were measured. The subjects were divided into either an MS or a non-MS group according to the MS definition criteria for Japanese children.


RESULTS
The level of GPT was significantly higher in the MS group in both genders. Correlation analysis revealed positive correlations between GPT and waist circumference, blood pressure, maximum preperitoneal fat thickness, serum insulin and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-R), but no correlation between GPT and FBG. ANOVA showed a significant difference in GPT levels between MS and non-MS subgroups, whereas there was no difference in FBG between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic curves demonstrated that GPT was clearly superior to FBG as a diagnostic marker of MS.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that an elevation in GPT in obese children most likely reflects insulin resistance and that GPT is superior to FBG as a marker of MS.
Abe
Yuki
Y
Department of Homeostatic Regulation and Development, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Japan. y-abe@hosp.niigata.niigata.jp
Kikuchi
Toru
T
Nagasaki
Keisuke
K
Hiura
Makoto
M
Tanaka
Yukie
Y
Ogawa
Yohei
Y
Uchiyama
Makoto
M
D000293:Adolescent; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D007564:Japan; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D050177:Overweight; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
D000637:Transaminases; C022393:phosphoserine aminotransferase