Research Article Details

Article ID: A22408
PMID: 24607243
Source: J Pediatr
Title: Insulin-like growth factor-I and -II levels are associated with the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in obese children.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To correlate circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF-II, and IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-3 in a population of obese children with biopsy-proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with clinical, biochemical, and histological features. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional study at the Hepatometabolic Unit of the Bambino Ges&#249; Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy. Obese children (42 girls and 57 boys) underwent liver biopsy, anthropometry, biochemical assessment, and IGF system evaluation. Serum concentrations of IGF-I, IGF-II, and IGFBP-3 were measured. The liver biopsy features of each case were graded according to the NAFLD Activity Scoring system. The degrees of steatosis, inflammation, ballooning, and fibrosis were calculated. RESULTS: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis was diagnosed in 14/99 obese subjects. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that IGF-I was the major predictor of ballooning (&#946; = -0.463; P < .0001) and NAFLD activity score (&#946; = -0.457; P < .0001), IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio was the major predictor of liver inflammation (&#946; = -0.285; P = .005), and IGF-II was the major predictor of liver fibrosis (&#946; = 0.343; P < .005). CONCLUSION: Circulating levels of IGF-I and IGF-II are associated with the histological stages of NAFLD and may represent novel markers of liver damage progression in obese children.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2014.01.052