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Serum complement factor 5a levels are associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in obese children

Wei Hu1, Min Wang1, Chunyan Yin1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|October 6, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Complement factor 5a (C5a) is elevated in obese children, particularly those with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Elevated C5a may serve as a novel predictor for advanced NAFLD in pediatric populations.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Hepatology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a significant cause of chronic liver injury in children.
  • Complement factor 5a (C5a) is implicated in inflammatory processes.
  • Investigating systemic C5a levels in pediatric NAFLD is crucial for understanding disease mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare systemic C5a levels in obese children with and without NAFLD against lean controls.
  • To determine the association between C5a and clinical parameters in pediatric NAFLD.
  • To evaluate C5a as a potential predictive marker for NAFLD in obese children.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 96 Chinese children (aged 6-17 years).
  • Participants included obese children with NAFLD, obese children without NAFLD, and lean controls.
  • Measurements included anthropometric data, clinical information, and serum C5a levels.

Main Results:

  • Obese children exhibited higher serum C5a concentrations than lean controls, with the highest levels in those with NAFLD.
  • C5a positively correlated with BMI, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, and insulin resistance.
  • C5a was identified as a significant predictor of NAFLD in obese children, independent of BMI and age.

Conclusions:

  • Serum C5a is elevated in obese children, especially those diagnosed with NAFLD.
  • Elevated C5a may represent a novel biomarker for predicting advanced NAFLD in pediatric patients.
  • Further research is warranted to explore the therapeutic implications of targeting C5a in NAFLD.
Abstract

Keywords:
Complement factor 5aInflammation disordersNonalcoholic fatty liver diseaseNovel markerObese children

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