Table 1. Characteristics of controls and children with early signs of NAFLD.
| Controls | NAFLD | |
|---|---|---|
| n | 29 | 20 |
| Sex (male/female) | 15/14 | 8/12 |
| Ethnicity (Caucasian/Asian) | 22/7 | 10/10 |
| Age (years) | 7.1 (6.6–8.1) | 8.25 (6.9–9.0) |
| Height (m) | 1.26 (1.21–1.32) | 1.32 (1.29–1.39)* |
| BMI (kg/m²) | 16.8 (16.2–17.8) | 22.1 (19.4–24.2)* |
| BMI-SD score | 0.5 (0.27–0.92) | 2.14 (1.50–2.38)* |
| Percentiles | 72 (60.5–82.5) | 98.5 (93.8–99)* |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 58.8 (57–61.4) | 77.3 (70.2–81.8)* |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 102.5 (99–109.5) | 105 (101–116) |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 63 (56.8–66.3) | 68 (63.1–73.3)* |
| ALT (U/l) | 18 (15–22) | 22 (20–28.8)* |
| AST (U/l) | 33 (30–37.5) | 33 (26.8–35.8) |
| Triglycerides (mg/dl) | 53 (43–62.5) | 74.5 (64–101)* |
| HDL cholesterol (mg/dl) | 56 (52–61.5) | 50 (42.5–58.8)* |
| LDL cholesterol (mg/dl) | 98 (87–111) | 108 (93–123.8) |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dl) | 168 (151.5–186.5) | 171.5 (157.8–190.3) |
| Leptin (ng/ml) | 1.8 (1.1–3) | 7.9 (4.4–13.3)* |
| Adiponectin (μg/ml) | 10 (6.2–15.7) | 9.8 (7.2–13.6) |
| Insulin (μIU/ml) | 8.6 (7.1–9.4) | 12.1 (10.3–16.6)* |
| HOMA-IR | 1.7 (1.6–2) | 2.3 (1.9–4)* |
| TNF α (pg/ml) | 0.126 (0.104–0.140) | 0.141 (0.123–0.172)* |
| SIBO (with/without)# | 2/27 | 2/17# |
BMI: body mass index, BMI-SD score: BMI standard deviation score, ALT: alanine aminotransferase, AST: aspartate aminotransferase, HOMA-IR: homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, TNF α: tumor necrosis factor α, SIBO: small intestinal bacterial overgrowth Data are shown as absolute numbers or median (IQR),
*p < 0.05 compared to healthy control children,
#one child refused the H2 exhalation test.