Lack of change in serum sCD36 concentration in children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease - A preliminary study

Abstract

Purpose: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly being recognized in the pediatric population, therefore, the search for non-invasive parameters to predict progression of NAFLD is of great interest. The aim of this study was to assess serum concentration of sCD36 in children with obesity and to determine its diagnostic value in pediatric NAFLD.

Patients and methods: The study group consisted of 50 children with obesity aged 8-17.5 years, admitted to our Department because of suspected liver pathology. Selected liver diseases were excluded in the examined group. Anthropometry, laboratory tests (including the concentration of sCD36) and liver ultrasound, were performed in all subjects.

Results: NAFLD was confirmed in 16 out of 50 patients with obesity. There was significantly higher activity of ALT, AST, GGT, and increased waist-hip ratio WHR in individuals with NAFLD in comparison to non-hepatopathic children with obesity. We did not find a significant difference between sCD36 concentration in patients with obesity and NAFLD and non-hepathopathic patients with obesity. We also did not find a significant difference between sCD36 concentration in children with obesity in comparison to the control group and between mild (grade 1) vs. advanced (grade ≥2) steatosis. Correlation of sCD36 concentration with anthropometric, biochemical, and bioimpedance parameters in children with obesity was confirmed only with body fat percentage.

Conclusions: sCD36 is not a suitable parameter to differentiate children with NAFLD from non-hepatopathic children with obesity and controls without obesity. Further studies on a larger pediatric population are needed to confirm these findings.

Keywords: Children; Metabolic syndrome; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Obesity; sCD36.