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Association between inflammatory markers and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese children
Yamei Duan1, Jiayou Luo1, Xiongfeng Pan1
1Department of Maternal and Child Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Insights
Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-17 are significantly associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children. These inflammatory markers show promise as non-invasive indicators for NAFLD development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Hepatology
- Immunology
Background:
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is prevalent in obese children.
- Non-invasive diagnostic markers for pediatric NAFLD are limited.
- Exploring inflammatory markers is crucial for early detection and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between specific inflammatory markers and NAFLD in obese children.
- To evaluate the potential of these markers as non-invasive indicators of NAFLD.
- To identify novel diagnostic or therapeutic targets for pediatric NAFLD.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study was conducted with 267 obese children (176 with NAFLD, 91 controls).
- Inflammatory cytokines were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
- Multivariable logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed.
Main Results:
- Increased levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-17 were significantly associated with NAFLD.
- IL-8, IL-12, IL-21, IL-32, TNF-α, NLR, PLR, LMR, MPV, and PDW showed no significant association.
- The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) for IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17 were high (0.94, 0.94, and 0.97, respectively).
Conclusions:
- IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17 are significantly associated with NAFLD in obese children.
- These cytokines may serve as valuable non-invasive biomarkers for NAFLD.
- Findings suggest potential for novel therapeutic strategies targeting these inflammatory pathways.
Background:
Given the high prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children, non-invasive markers of disease to date are still limited and worth exploring.
Objective:
This study aimed to evaluate the association between inflammatory markers and NAFLD in obese children.
Methods:
We performed a case-control study in Hunan Children's Hospital from September 2020 to September 2021. Study participants were children with obesity diagnosed with NAFLD by abdominal ultrasound examination. Mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, and platelet counts were extracted from medical records and inflammatory cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between inflammatory markers and NAFLD. We also used receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to assess the discriminative ability of inflammatory cytokines for NAFLD.
Results:
Two hundred and sixty-seven obese children were enrolled, including 176 NAFLD patients and 91 simple obesity controls. Multivariable logistic model indicated that increased interleukin (IL)-1β [odds ratio (OR) = 1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04-1.27], IL-6 (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.07-1.53), and IL-17 (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.07) levels were significantly associated with NAFLD. In contrast, we observed non-significant associations for IL-8, IL-12, IL-21, IL-32, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet distribution width (PDW) with NAFLD. The area under the curves (AUCs) of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17 to discriminate obese children with or without NAFLD were 0.94, 0.94, and 0.97, respectively.
Conclusions:
Our results indicated that IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17 levels were significantly associated with NAFLD. These inflammatory cytokines may serve as non-invasive markers to determine the development of NAFLD and potentially identify additional avenues for therapeutic intervention.
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