Background: Patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and primary or autoimmune sclerosing cholangitis are at nutritional risk; their body composition and has not been extensively studied. We aimed to describe their body composition and identify clinical links.
Methods: Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), two reviewers segmented total psoas muscle area (tPMSA), visceral fat area (VFA) and subcutaneous fat area (mm2 ) and measured visceral and subcutaneous thickness (mm). Clinical, laboratory and quality of life (QoL; using PedsQL) data were collected. Sarcopenia was defined as tPMSA ≤5th percentile. Analysis of variance, Wilcoxon rank test and multivariable modelling were performed. A paediatric cohort with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was used as a comparator following propensity score matching.
Results: Fifty-eight patients with autoimmune liver disease (AILD) (33 [57%] with AIH) were included: median age 16 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 13-18), 33 (57%) male. Median time from diagnosis to MRI was 15 months (IQR: 2-39 months). Two patients (3%) had a BMIz indicative of mild malnutrition. tPMSA was measurable in 52 subjects (90%). Of those, 25 (48%) had sarcopenia. Sarcopenic patients had a lower blood urea nitrogen compared to non-sarcopenic (median [IQR]: 9.5 [8.0, 12.0] vs 11 [10, 14] mg/dL; P = .023). There was no difference in corticosteroid use between groups. The VFA of sarcopenic patients was higher (3156 [2064, 7492]) vs 2084 [688, 3092]) mm2 ; P = .005). Patient-reported QoL negatively associated with VFA and general health negatively associated with VFA. Compared with NAFLD, the odds ratio for sarcopenia with AILD was 14.5 (95% confidence interval: 2.3-90.7).
Conclusion: In autoimmune liver diseases, sarcopenia is highly prevalent, associated with increased visceral fat and QoL.
Keywords: autoimmune liver disease; sarcopenia; visceral fat.
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.