Table 1.
Cohort characteristics.
| Characteristic | Males |
Female |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAFLD (n = 63) | No NAFLD (n = 528) | p value | NAFLD (n = 113) | No NAFLD (n = 463) | p value | |
| Anthropometry | ||||||
| Weight (kg) | 94.5 ± 20.4 | 69.4 ± 11.0 | <0.001 | 72.9 ± 17.2 | 60.9 ± 10.0 | <0.001 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 29.3 ± 5.9 | 21.9 ± 3.1 | <0.001 | 26.3 ± 5.9 | 22.2 ± 3.4 | <0.001 |
| Waist circumference (cm) | 98.1 ± 15.6 | 78.3 ± 7.7 | <0.001 | 85.3 ± 14.6 | 75.5 ± 9.3 | <0.001 |
| Abdominal obesity (%) | 59.0 | 4.2 | <0.001 | 61.5 | 25.7 | <0.001 |
| Suprailiac SFT (mm) | 26.2 ± 11.0 | 11.4 ± 7.0 | <0.001 | 24.0 ± 9.1 | 17.0 ± 6.7 | <0.001 |
| SAT (mm) | 31.4 ± 14.2 | 12.5 ± 7.7 | <0.001 | 30.0 ± 14.7 | 18.6 ± 6.6 | <0.001 |
| VAT (mm) | 41.6 ± 16.4 | 34.7 ± 9.9 | <0.001 | 31.4 ± 9.8 | 29.5 ± 8.7 | 0.09 |
| Cardiovascular | ||||||
| SBP (mmHg) | 124.3 ± 9.8 | 119.3 ± 10.2 | <0.001 | 110.4 ± 9.3 | 109.3 ± 9.6 | 0.29 |
| DBP (mmHg) | 60.2 ± 7.1 | 59.2 ± 6.6 | 0.29 | 59.8 ± 6.0 | 59.6 ± 6.6 | 0.83 |
| Pulse per minute | 66.7 ± 12.1 | 62.5 ± 10.2 | 0.003 | 67.5 ± 9.6 | 66.8 ± 9.9 | 0.46 |
| Biochemistry | ||||||
| ALT (U/L) | 39.1 ± 23.6 | 22.1 ± 9.9 | <0.001 | 19.7 ± 13.3 | 18.1 ± 10.2 | 0.20 |
| AST (U/L) | 31.4. ± 14.5 | 27.0 ± 8.3 | 0.001 | 21.3 ± 5.4 | 22.0 ± 5.1 | 0.19 |
| GGT (U/L) | 23.7 ± 14.1 | 15.4 ± 7.3 | <0.001 | 13.9 ± 6.8 | 13.0 ± 6.8 | 0.24 |
| Glucose (mmol/L) | 5.0 ± 0.5 | 4.8 ± 0.7 | 0.08 | 4.6 ± 0.4 | 4.7 ± 0.4 | 0.70 |
| Total cholesterol (mmol/L) | 4.0 ± 0.9 | 3.9 ± 0.7 | 0.34 | 4.4 ± 0.9 | 4.3 ± 0.7 | 0.41 |
| HDL-C (mmol/L) | 1.1 ± 0.2 | 1.2 ± 0.2 | <0.001 | 1.3 ± 0.3 | 1.4 ± 0.3 | 0.001 |
| LDL-C (mmol/L) | 2.4 ± 0.8 | 2.2 ± 0.6 | 0.16 | 2.5 ± 0.7 | 2.4 ± 0.6 | 0.13 |
| Triglycerides (mmol/L) | 1.3 ± 0.6 | 1.0 ± 0.6 | <0.001 | 1.1 ± 0.6 | 1.0 ± 0.5 | 0.01 |
| RLP-C (mmol/L) | 0.6 ± 0.3 | 0.5 ± 0.3 | 0.007 | 0.5 ± 0.3 | 0.5 ± 0.1 | 0.006 |
| Leptin (μg/L) | 12.8 (6.2–28.4) | 2.3 (1.4–5.2) | <0.001 | 43.3 (27.1–66.4) | 22.4 (13.9–35.8) | <0.001 |
| Adiponectin (mg/L) | 6.6 ± 2.8 | 8.4 ± 5.2 | 0.01 | 9.3 ± 4.6 | 11.9 ± 6.4 | <0.001 |
| hsCRP (mg/L) | 1.2 (0.6–2.5) | 0.4 (0.2–0.8) | <0.001 | 1.3 (0.4–4.6) | 0.7 (0.3–1.8) | 0.001 |
| Fasting insulin (mU/L) | 10.5 (6.6–19.4) | 6.8 (4.4–9.8) | <0.001 | 9.7 (6.8–15.6) | 7.5 (5.1–10.7) | <0.001 |
| HOMA-IR | 2.3 (1.4–4.1) | 1.4 (0.9–2.1) | <0.001 | 2.1 (1.3–3.1) | 1.5 (1.0–2.2) | <0.001 |
| Metabolic syndrome (%) | 21.8% | 1.6% | <0.001 | 9.9 | 1.7% | 0.001 |
| Arterial stiffness measurements | ||||||
| C-AGPH-HR75 | −3.3 (−14.8 to 3.5) | −10.5 (−18.3 to −3.0) | <0.001 | −6.3 (−12.3 to 0.0) | −6.5 (−13.5 to 1.0) | 0.66 |
| Arterial augmentation index | 105.0 (93.5–110.4) | 97.0 (89.50–105.5) | 0.002 | 98.5 (91.5–106.1) | 99.0 (92.4–107.5) | 0.93 |
| Arterial pulse wave velocity | 6.6 (6.2–7.2) | 6.6 (6.2–7.1) | 0.48 | 6.3 (5.9–6.7) | 6.3 (5.8–6.7) | 0.59 |
Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation, median (interquartile range) or as proportions. Differences in continuous variables between adolescents with or without NAFLD were computed using the independent t test or the Mann-Whitney U test. Differences between categorical variables were determined with the Pearson Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. p values are for associations between RLP-C and other variables. p values <0.05 are considered statistically significant.
Metabolic syndrome is defined using International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Abdominal obesity was defined as waist circumference ≥80 cm in females and ≥94 cm in males.
ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; C-AGPH-HR75, Central Augmentation Pressure/Pulse Height Ratio at Heart Rate 75; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; GGT, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; HDL-C, high density lipoprotein cholesterol; HOMA-IR, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance; hsCRP, high sensitivity CRP; LDL-C, low density lipoprotein cholesterol; RLP-C, remnant lipoprotein cholesterol; SAT, subcutaneous adipose thickness; SBP, systolic blood pressure; SST, suprailiac skinfold thickness; VAT, visceral adipose thickness.