title: Screening for elevated risk of liver disease in preschool children (aged 2-5 years) being seen for obesity management.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Elevated alanine aminotransferase can heighten concern for the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in obese children. Guidelines recommend alanine aminotransferase screening of obese children start at the age of 10 years. We examined alanine aminotransferase values routinely obtained for tertiary obesity care among preschool (2-5 years) and school-age children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of children attending a tertiary obesity clinic and with alanine aminotransferase measured within 6 months of the initial visit were reviewed. Children with known genetic abnormalities were excluded. Children were grouped by age to focus attention on groups not covered by screening guidelines. Associations with elevated alanine aminotransferase (>30 IU/L) were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 284 records were analyzed (73 preschool, 143 young school-age (6-9 years), 68 older school-age (10-11 years)). Children were primarily Hispanic and had body mass index ≥ 99th percentile (preschool children 92%, young school-age 73%, older school-age 59%). In all, 26% of preschool children had elevated alanine aminotransferase (young school-age 30%, older school-age 44%). Preschool children with elevated alanine aminotransferase had higher body mass index compared to preschool children with alanine aminotransferase ≤ 30 IU/L (median body mass index 27.8 kg/m(2) vs 24.0 kg/m(2); Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.003), but there was no disparity for elevated alanine aminotransferase related to Hispanic ethnicity. For older children, Hispanic ethnicity, not body mass index, predicted elevated alanine aminotransferase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alanine aminotransferase elevation was common in these preschool children. Screening severely obese children for elevated alanine aminotransferase should begin at the age of 2 years.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Mary Ann & J. Milburn Smith Child Health Research Program, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Chicago, IL, USA; Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Pediatric Residency Program, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Beacher
authors.affiliation: Mary Ann & J. Milburn Smith Child Health Research Program, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Chicago, IL, USA; Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Adolfo J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Ariza
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Mark H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Fishbein
authors.affiliation: Mary Ann & J. Milburn Smith Child Health Research Program, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Chicago, IL, USA; Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Helen J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Binns
keywords: Obesity; alanine aminotransferase; children; liver; nonalcoholic fatty liver disease