Table 2.
Summary and comparison of baseline characteristics between loss, no change, and gain groups.
| Baseline factors | Subjects with paired MRI data (N = 48) | P-value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss (N = 13) | No change (N = 18) | Gain (N = 17) | All groups | Loss vs. Gain | |
| Hepatic fat % | 4.8 (3.7, 7.4) | 2.6 (2.0, 3.8) | 7.8 (4.5, 15.2) | <0.001 | 0.16 |
| Subjects with NAFLD | 11 (85%) | 2 (11%) | 8 (47%) | <0.001 | 0.025 |
| Sex, male | 5 (38%) | 7 (38.9%) | 7 (41%) | 0.99 | 0.88 |
| Age, years | 15.2 (12.9, 16.4) | 14.6 (13.5, 15.6) | 14.6 (13.9, 16.5) | 0.61 | 0.50 |
| Stage of puberty, advanced | 10 (77%) | 12 (66.7%) | 12 (71%) | 0.92 | 0.70 |
| Ethnicity/Race, Hispanic | 4 (31%) | 3 (16.7%) | 7 (41%) | 0.26 | 0.47 |
| Weight (kg) | 96.1 (85.2, 114.3) | 97.8 (83.2, 108.0) | 106.6 (91.4, 113.4) | 0.49 | 0.85 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 34.4 (32.8, 41.8) | 34.8 (31.8, 38.7) | 36.8 (33.7, 39.9) | 0.75 | 0.92 |
| BMI z-score | 2.4 (2.3, 2.5) | 2.3 (2.2, 2.6) | 2.5 (2.3, 2.6) | 0.84 | 0.93 |
| Total body fat (%) | 45.2 (43.6, 50.7) | 44.2 (39.7, 50.3) | 46.0 (39.0, 50.1) | 0.64 | 0.48 |
| Waist Circumference (cm) | 112 (105, 129) | 102.5 (96.0, 119.0) | 115.6 (109, 120) | 0.22 | 0.90 |
| SBP (mmHg) | 131 (123, 136) | 123.5 (120.0, 130.0) | 133 (125, 141) | 0.086 | 0.71 |
| DBP (mmHg) | 73 (69, 76) | 66.0 (65.0, 71.0) | 69 (67, 73) | 0.014 | 0.20 |
| Glucose, fasting (mg/dL) | 94.0 (86.0, 95.0) | 93.0 (88.0, 99.0) | 96.0 (86.0, 99.0) | 0.72 | 0.39 |
| Insulin, fasting (mIU/L) | 30.3 (26.8, 35.6) | 18.5 (15.0, 28.6) | 29.0 (20.5, 35.1) | 0.12 | 0.49 |
| HOMA-IR | 7.1 (6.2, 7.9) | 4.2 (3.5, 6.9) | 6.6 (4.3, 7.7) | 0.17 | 0.57 |
| FGF-21 (pg/mL) | 209.2 (110.2, 257.7) | 156.1 (97.7, 203.1) | 131.8 (69.9, 180.5) | 0.42 | 0.23 |
| Adiponectin (ng/mL) | 5.8 (3.5, 7.5) | 8.5 (5.7, 12.1) | 7.1 (5.6, 10.9) | 0.087 | 0.14 |
| Leptin (pg/mL) | 55.1 (42.3, 84.2) | 51.4 (30.6, 64.0) | 55.9 (40.4, 73.0) | 0.70 | 0.69 |
| FAR (pg/ng) | 25.9 (16.9, 44.7) | 20.8 (11.1, 31.6) | 13.7 (11.9, 25.6) | 0.12 | 0.057 |
| LAR (pg/ng) | 8.0 (6.8, 24.6) | 6.6 (3.7, 9.0) | 9.3 (6.4, 10.9) | 0.095 | 0.35 |
| Triglyceride (mg/dL) | 124.0 (80.0, 148.0) | 89.5 (56.0, 125.0) | 110.0 (91.0, 129.0) | 0.33 | 0.95 |
| HDL (mg/dL) | 44.0 (38.0, 46.0) | 43.0 (38.0, 47.0) | 45.0 (41.0, 46.0) | 0.79 | 0.48 |
| FFA (mmol/L) | 4.6 (3.9, 5.8) | 4.4 (3.1, 5.6) | 4.7 (3.6, 6.2) | 0.60 | 0.82 |
| ALT (IU/L) | 31.0 (26.0, 45.0) | 23.5 (19.0, 34.0) | 31.0 (27.0, 37.0) | 0.13 | 0.71 |
| AST (IU/L) | 25.0 (21.0, 28.0) | 24.0 (20.0, 29.0) | 23.0 (21.0, 29.0) | 0.99 | 0.93 |
| GGT (IU/L) | 19.0 (16.0, 31.0) | 21.0 (18.0, 29.0) | 20.0 (18.0, 25.0) | 0.98 | 0.82 |
Statistics shown are N (%) or median (Q1, Q3). P values are calculated from Fisher's Exact test for categorical variables, Kruskal–Wallis test for continuous variable comparing all groups, or Wilcoxon Rank-sum test for continuous variables comparing loss and gain groups. ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferases; BMI, body mass index; DBP, Diastolic Blood Pressure; FAR, Fibroblast Growth Factor 21–Adiponectin Ratio; FFA, free fatty acid; FGF21, fibroblast growth factor 21; GGT, Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase; HDL, High-Density Lipoprotein; HOMA-IR, Homeostatic Model Assessment—Insulin Resistance; IHTG, intrahepatic triglyceride; LAR, Leptin—Adiponectin Ratio; LDL, Low-Density Lipoprotein; MRI, Magnetic Resonance Imaging; NAFLD, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; SBP, Systolic Blood Pressure.