Non-alcoholic fatty liver and metabolic syndrome in children: a vicious circle

During the last decade, paediatricians have observed a dramatic increase of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic syndrome (MS) in children. Furthermore, several lines of evidence have reported that a large part of children with NAFLD presents one or more traits of MS making plausible that, in the coming years, these subjects may present a rapid course of disease towards more severe cirrhosis and cardiovascular disease. Genetic susceptibility and the pressure of intrauterine environment and lifestyle are all crucial to activate molecular machinery that leads to development of NAFLD and MS in childhood. In this scenario, central obesity and consequent adipose tissue inflammation are critical to promote both MS-associated metabolic dysfunctions and NAFLD-related hepatic damage. An excessive dietary intake may in fact cause a specific lipid partitioning and induce metabolic stressors, which in turn promote insulin resistance and the release of several circulating factors. These molecules, on the one hand, trigger steatosis and the inflammatory response that characterize liver damage in NAFLD, and on the other hand contribute to the onset of other features of MS. This review provides an overview of current genetic, pathogenetic and clinical evidence of the vicious circle created by NAFLD and MS in children.