Changes in alanine aminotransferase in adults with severe and complicated obesity during a milk-based meal replacement programme

Razk Abdalgwad; Mohammed Faraz Rafey; Conor Murphy; Iulia Ioana; Paula Mary O'Shea; Eoin Slattery; Colin Davenport; Derek Timothy O'Keeffe; Francis Martin Finucane

doi:10.1186/s12986-020-00512-5

Changes in alanine aminotransferase in adults with severe and complicated obesity during a milk-based meal replacement programme

Nutr Metab (Lond). 2020 Oct 16:17:87. doi: 10.1186/s12986-020-00512-5. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Razk Abdalgwad^{1

2

3}, Mohammed Faraz Rafey^{1

2

3}, Conor Murphy^{1

2

3}, Iulia Ioana¹, Paula Mary O'Shea⁴, Eoin Slattery^{2

3}, Colin Davenport^{1

2

3}, Derek Timothy O'Keeffe^{1

2

3}, Francis Martin Finucane^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Bariatric Medicine Service, Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and and HRB Clinical Research Facility, Galway University Hospitals, Galway, Ireland.
² HRB Clinical Research Facility, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
³ Department of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland.
⁴ Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Galway University Hospitals, Galway, Ireland.

Abstract

Introduction: Excess adiposity is associated with fat accumulation within the liver, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is highly prevalent in bariatric patients. Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is associated with prevalent NASH. We sought to determine the influence of a milk-based meal replacement weight-loss programme on ALT levels in adults with severe and complicated obesity.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients who completed a 24-week meal replacement programme, comprised of a weight loss phase followed by weight stabilisation and maintenance phases, each 8 weeks long. ALT was quantified using an enzymatic assay with spectrophotometric detection. We examined changes over time in ALT using the non-parametric Wilcoxon singed-rank test and the Friedman test.

Results: Of 105 patients, 56 were female, mean age was 51.2 ± 11.2 (range 18.0-71.6) years. There was an unanticipated but transient increase in ALT from 28.0 [20.0, 40.5] iu/L at baseline to 40.0 [26.0, 55.0] iu/L after 2 weeks (p < 0.0005), followed by a gradual reduction to 21.0 [17.0, 28.3] iu/L by 24 weeks (p < 0.0005). The overall reductions in ALT were more pronounced in patients who had elevated levels at baseline. Body weight decreased from 144.2 ± 28.0 kg at baseline to 121.6 ± 25.4 kg at 24 weeks (p < 0.0005) and body mass index (BMI) decreased from 50.7 ± 8.1 kg m^-2 at baseline to 43.0 ± 7.6 kg m^-2 by 24 weeks (p < 0.0005).

Conclusion: In adults with severe and complicated obesity undergoing a milk-based meal replacement programme, there was an initial unanticipated rise in ALT in the first 2 weeks, followed by a gradual overall reduction by 24 weeks. These findings suggest that rapid weight loss secondary to significant caloric restriction might induce a transient deterioration in hepatic steatosis prior to an ultimate overall improvement.

Keywords: Alanine aminotransferase; Bariatric; Milk-based meal replacement programme; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; Severe obesity.