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Ferritin as a key risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children with obesity

Junfeng Zhang1,2, Jiajia Cao1,2, Hui Xu1,2

  • 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, School of Medicine, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China.

Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis
|November 29, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Serum ferritin levels can predict nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children. Higher ferritin levels are associated with an increased risk of NAFLD, making it a useful diagnostic marker.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Hepatology
  • Metabolic Disorders

Background:

  • The link between serum ferritin and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children remains unclear.
  • This study aimed to determine if serum ferritin is an independent predictor of NAFLD in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between serum ferritin levels and the presence of NAFLD in children with obesity.
  • To evaluate the predictive value of serum ferritin for NAFLD in pediatric obesity.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 347 obese children was analyzed using hepatic ultrasound.
  • 95 children with NAFLD were matched with 95 controls based on gender, age, blood pressure, and BMI.
  • Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess the association between ferritin and NAFLD risk.

Main Results:

  • Children with NAFLD exhibited significantly higher serum ferritin levels compared to controls post-propensity score matching.
  • Multivariate analysis revealed a strong association between ferritin, alanine aminotransferase, and NAFLD.
  • Elevated ferritin levels (medium and high tertiles) significantly increased NAFLD risk (adjusted ORs: 3.298 and 7.322).
  • Ferritin demonstrated good predictive performance for NAFLD with 60.0% sensitivity, 77.9% specificity, and an AUC of 0.733.

Conclusions:

  • Serum ferritin serves as a valuable and independent predictor of NAFLD in obese children.
  • Elevated serum ferritin levels are strongly associated with the presence and risk of NAFLD in this population.
Abstract

Keywords:
childrenferritinnonalcoholic fatty liver diseaseobesitypropensity score matching

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