title: Association between serum alanine aminotransferase level and obesity indices in Korean adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the correlation between serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and obesity indices including body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BFP), total fat mass (FM), truncal fat mass (TFM), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in Korean adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study based on data derived from the 2010-2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES). Subjects were Korean adolescents aged 10-18 years (871 total; 475 boys and 396 girls) who participated in KNHANES.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both sexes, BMI, FM, TFM, WC, and WHtR were higher when ALT levels were in the 4th quartile. In boys, there was a significant positive correlation between ALT level and BMI, BFP, FM, TFM, WC, and WHtR (r=0.55, P<0.0001 for BMI; r=0.52, P<0.0001 for BFP; r=0.58, P<0.0001 for FM; r=0.61, P<0.0001 for TFM; and r=0.56, P<0.0001 for WC; r=0.62, P<0.0001 for WHtR), and the correlation coefficient was higher than that in girls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest a significant positive association between serum ALT level and obesity indices in male adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Buchoen, Korea.
authors.forename: Moon Bae
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Buchoen, Korea.
authors.forename: Woo Ri
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Do
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Won Kyoung
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Buchoen, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung Soon
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, St. Vincent Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: So Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Kyu
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Suh
keywords: Adolescent; Alanine transaminase; Body mass index; Obesity; Waist circumference