title: The association of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in overweight/obese children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS), insulin resistance (IR) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in overweight/obese children with clinical hepatomegaly and/or raised alanine aminotransferase (ALT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three overweight and obese children, aged 2-13 years, presenting with hepatomegaly and/or raised ALT, were studied for the prevalence of MS, IR and NAFLD. Laboratory analysis included fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and liver biochemical profile, in addition to liver ultrasound and liver biopsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty patients (60.6%) were labeled with MS. IR was present in 16 (48.4%). Fifteen (44%) patients had biopsy-proven NAFLD. Patients with MS were more likely to have NAFLD by biopsy (P=0.001). Children with NAFLD had significantly higher body mass index, waist circumference, ALT, total cholesterol, LDL-c, TG, fasting insulin, and lower HDL-c compared to patients with normal liver histology (P< 0.05) and fitted more with the criteria of MS (80% vs. 44%). IR was significantly more common among NAFLD patients (73% vs. 28%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a close association between obesity, MS, IR and NAFLD. Obese children with clinical or biochemical hepatic abnormalities are prone to suffer from MS, IR and NAFLD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Nehal M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: El-Koofy
authors.forename: Ghada M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Anwar
authors.forename: Mona S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: El-Raziky
authors.forename: Ahmad M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: El-Hennawy
authors.forename: Fatma M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: El-Mougy
authors.forename: Hanaa M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: El-Karaksy
authors.forename: Fetouh M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Hassanin
authors.forename: Heba M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Helmy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers