Table 1.
Demographic and laboratory characteristics of the study population
| Parameters | NHF (N=12) | LHF (N=14) | HHF (N=13) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (yrs) | 14.6 (0.54) | 13.9 (0.62) | 13.7 (0.78) | 0.621 |
| Male (n, %) | 5 (41.7) | 2 (14.3) | 9 (69.2) | 0.015 |
| BMI z-score | 1.95 (0.08) | 2.01 (0.08) | 2.30 (0.12) | 0.030 |
| Visceral adiposity (cm2)ⱡ | 89.7 (11.4) | 72.8 (7.08) | 129 (13.8) | 0.010 |
| Hepatic steatosis (%) | 3.96 (0.19) | 7.26 (1.65) | 15.9 (4.48) | <0.001 |
| ALT (U/L) | 17.3 (2.15) | 17.1 (1.05) | 94.3 (36.2) | <0.001 |
| Glucose (mg/dl) | 72.8 (7.31) | 122 (14.4) | 201 (32.7) | 0.769 |
| Insulin (mU/L)* | 17.1 (2.15) | 27.7 (22.1) | 46.3 (12.9) | 0.012 |
| HOMA-IR* | 3.92 (0.44) | 6.89 (1.66) | 11.3 (4.01) | 0.028 |
| Adipo-IR* | 13.1 (1.60) | 23.8 (5.99) | 85.3 (46.7) | 0.001 |
| Cholesterol (mg/dl) | 157 (22.1) | 161 (8.78) | 176 (12.0) | 0.354 |
| TG (mg/dl) | 72.8 (7.31) | 122 (14.4) | 201 (32.7) | 0.001 |
| LDL (mg/dl) | 99.3 (8.28) | 105 (6.56) | 109 (9.69) | 0.720 |
| HDL (mg/dl) | 46.9 (2.51) | 42.9 (7.98) | 44.1 (10.8) | 0.542 |
| FFA (mEq/L) | 0.81 (0.08) | 0.85 (0.07) | 1.31 (0.80) | 0.032 |
| hs-CRP (mg/L) | 3.46 (1.03) | 3.12 (0.64) | 6.52 (2.18) | 0.315 |
| TNF-α (pg/mL)* | 4.54 (0.61) | 4.92 (0.46) | 6.34 (0.62) | 0.081 |
Data are expressed as mean (SE). p-values were generated by ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis tests (for variables not normally distributed). Significant p-values (p < 0.05) marked in bold.
ⱡ
NHF, n=10; LHF, N=13; HHF, N=8;
*
HHF, n=11.
Abbreviations: NHF, normal hepatic fat (≤5%); LHF, low hepatic fat (5–10%); HHF, high hepatic fat (>10%); ALT, alanine aminotransferase; HOMA-IR, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance index; Adipo-IR, adipose insulin resistance index; TG, triglycerides; LDL, low-density lipoprotein; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; FFA, free fatty acids; hs-CRP, high sensitivity C-reactive protein; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-α.