Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in asymptomatic Brazilian adolescents

• Published in: World journal of gastroenterology : WJG Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 473 - 477
• Main Authors: Rocha, Raquel, Cotrim, Helma Pinchemel, Bitencourt, Almir Galvão Vieira, Barbosa, Daniel Batista Valente, Santos, Admeia Souza, Almeida, Alessandro de Moura, Cunha, Bruno, Guimarães, Isabel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Postgraduate Course in Medicine and Health,Federal University of Bahia, School of Medicine, Bahia 40110-150, Brazil%Federal University of Bahia,School of Medicine, Salvador, Bahia 40110-150, Brazil%NASH Project,University Hospital Professor Edgard Santos, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia 40110-150, Brazil 28-01-2009; The WJG Press and Baishideng
• Subjects: Adolescent; Alanine Transaminase - blood; Brazil - epidemiology; Brief; Child; Fatty Liver - diagnosis; Fatty Liver - epidemiology; Fatty Liver - etiology; Fatty Liver - metabolism; Female; Humans; Insulin Resistance; Liver - enzymology; Male; Obesity - complications; 肥胖疾病; 脂肪代谢障碍; 青少年; Brazil; Insulinresistance; Ethnicity; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Adolescents; Central obesity
• ISSN: 1007-9327; 2219-2840
• DOI: 10.3748/wjg.15.473

AIM： To evaluate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） among asymptomatic Brazilian adolescents. METHODS： Transversal observational study included asymptomatic adolescents with central obesity from private and public schools in Salvador-Bahia, northeastern Brazil. The children answered a questionnaire that in- cluded age, gender, race, and medical history, and were submitted to a complete physical exam and abdominal ultrasound. Biochemical exams included： ALT, AST, GGT, C reactive protein （CRP）, fasting glucose, insulin, cholesterol and triglycerides. Criteria for NAFLD included： the presence of steatosis in ultrasound and/or high level of ALT, negative or occasional historic of intake of alcohol （4 140 g/wk）, negative investigation for hepatitis A, B, C, auto-immune hepatitis, Wilson disease and hemochro-matosis.RESULTS： From October, 2005 to October, 2006, the study included 1801 subjects between 11 and 18 years of age and a mean age of 13.7± 2.0 years. One hun- dred ninety-nine had central obesity. The prevalence of NAFLD was 2.3%, most of whom were male and white. Insulin resistance （IR） was observed in 22.9% of them and had positive correlations with ALT and GGT （P 〈 0.05）. Elevated CRP was observed in 6.9% of the cases; however, it was not associated with WC, IR or liver enzymes. CONCLUSION： The prevalence of NAFLD in Brazilian adolescents was low. The ethnicity may have influence this frequency in the population studied, which had a large proportion of African descendents.