PREVALENCE OF ALT ELEVATION AS A MARKER FOR LIVER INJURY IN OBESE CHILDREN OLDER THAN 5 YEARS

Reem Droubi*, Ahmad Chreitah and Mazen Galia

ABSTRACT

Background: Hepatic disorders are now recognized as a major concern in obese children with progression the
epidemic of obesity. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency of abnormal levels of alanine
aminotransferase (ALT) in obese children older than 5 years. Patients and Methods: A descriptive observational
cross-sectional study was conducted for the period one- year (2023-2024) at the department of pediatric- Tishreen
University Hospital in Lattakia-Syria. The study included all obese children according to the CDC (Centers for
Disease Control and prevention) who underwent screening for ALT levels. Results: A total of 466 children of
which 55.6% were male and 44.4% were female with a mean age of 9.82±2.8 years, were enrolled. Elevated levels
of ALT were detected in 158 cases (33.9%) which ranged in severity from mild in 18.2% to severe in 15.7%. There
was significant correlation between ALT and age of patients in which elevated levels were detected in 12.9% of the
children younger than 12 years versus 21% in older patients, p:0.001, without any association with sex(p:0.5). In
addition to, there was a significant positive linear correlation between levels of ALT and BMI (r:0.64, p:0.0001).
Conclusion: Impaired levels of ALT is prevalent among children with obesity especially in severe forms and in
older ages irrespective of sex.

Keywords: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Body Mass Index (BMI), Non Alcoholic Fatty liver Disease (NAFLD), children, hepatic, obesity.