OBJECTIVE: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common metabolic disorder in overweight and obese children, and its etiology and pathogenesis remain unclear, lacking effective preventive and therapeutic measures. This study aims to explore the association between whole blood copper, zinc, calcium,
magnesium and iron levels and NAFLD in overweight and obese children aged 6 to 17 years, providing a scientific basis for the prevention and intervention of early NAFLD in overweight and obese children.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used to collect relevant data from overweight and obese children who visited the Hunan Children\'s Hospital from January 2019 to December 2021 through questionnaire surveys. Fasting blood samples were collected from the subjects, and various indicators such as blood glucose, blood lipid, and mineral elements were detected. All children were divided into an overweight group (n=400) and a NAFLD group (n=202). The NAFLD group was divided into 2 subgroups according to the ALT level: A non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) group and a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) group. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between minerals (copper, zinc, calcium,
magnesium, and iron) and NAFLD, NAFL and NASH.
RESULTS: A total of 602 subjects were included, of whom 73.6% were male, with a median age of 10 (9, 11) years, and a body mass index (BMI) of 24.9 (22.7, 27.4) kg/m2. The intergroup comparison results showed that compared with the overweight group, the NAFLD group had higher levels of age, BMI, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lower level of high density lipoprotein (HDL). The NAFL group had higher levels of age, BMI, DBP, SBP, ALT, and AST, and lower levels of HDL compared with the overweight group. The levels of age, BMI, DBP, SBP, TG, LDL, ALT, and AST of NASH were higher than those in the overweight group, while the level of HDL was lower than that in overweight group (all P<0.017). After adjusting for a variety of confounders, the OR of NAFLD for the highest quantile of iron was 1.79 (95% CI 1.07 to 3.00) compared to the lowest quantile, and no significant association was observed between copper, zinc, calcium, and
magnesium, and NAFLD. The subgroup analysis of NAFLD showed that the OR for the highest quantile of iron in children with NAFL was 2.21 (95% CI 1.26 to 3.88), while no significant association was observed between iron level and NASH. In addition, no significant associations were observed between copper, zinc, calcium, and
magnesium levels and NAFL or NASH.
CONCLUSIONS: High iron level increases the risk of NAFLD (more likely NAFL) in overweight and obese children, while copper, zinc, calcium,
magnesium, and other elements are not associated with the risk of NAFLD in overweight and obese children.
目的: 非酒精性脂肪肝病(non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,NAFLD)是超重肥胖儿童中常见的一种代谢性疾病,其病因和发病机制尚未阐明,缺乏有效的预防和治疗手段。本研究旨在分析6~17岁超重肥胖儿童全血铜、锌、钙、镁、铁与NAFLD的关联,为超重肥胖儿童NAFLD的预防和早期干预提供依据。方法: 采用横断面研究设计,通过问卷调查收集于2019年1月至2021年12月在湖南省儿童医院就诊的超重肥胖儿童的相关资料,采集受试者凌晨空腹血并检测血糖、血脂、微量元素等指标。将超重肥胖儿童分为单纯超重肥胖组(n=400)和NAFLD组(n=202);根据ALT水平,将NAFLD组划分为单纯性脂肪肝(non-alcoholic fatty liver,NAFL)组和非酒精性脂肪性肝炎(non-alcoholic steatohepatitis,NASH)组2个亚组。采用Logistic回归分析全血铜、锌、钙、镁、铁与NAFLD、NAFL和NASH之间的关联。结果: 共纳入602名研究对象,其中73.6%为男性,年龄为10(9,11)岁,体重指数(body mass index,BMI)为24.9(22.7,27.4) kg/m2。组间比较结果显示:NAFLD组的年龄、BMI、舒张压(diastolic blood pressure,DBP)、收缩压(systolic blood pressure,SBP)、甘油三酯(triglyceride,TG)、低密度脂蛋白(low density lipoprotein,LDL)、谷丙转氨酶(alanine transaminase,ALT)、谷草转氨酶(aspartate aminotransferase,AST)均高于单纯超重肥胖组,高密度脂蛋白(high density lipoprotein,HDL)低于单纯超重肥胖组;NAFL组的年龄、BMI、DBP、SBP、ALT、AST均高于单纯超重肥胖组,HDL低于单纯超重肥胖组;NASH组的年龄、BMI、DBP、SBP、TG、LDL、ALT、AST均高于单纯超重肥胖组,HDL低于单纯超重肥胖组(均P<0.017)。根据各微量元素水平划分为四分位组,在调整混杂因素年龄、性别、BMI、血压、TG、HDL、LDL后,与最低分位组相比,铁元素最高分位组NAFLD的OR值为1.79(95% CI 1.07~3.00),铜、锌、钙、镁元素与NAFLD均不存在关联。NAFLD亚组分析结果显示:在调整混杂因素后,铁元素最高分位组NAFL的OR值为2.21(95% CI 1.26~3.88),未发现铁与NASH以及铜、锌、钙、镁与NAFL或NASH之间的关联。结论: 铁水平过高增加超重肥胖儿童NAFLD(更有可能是NAFL)的患病风险,而铜、锌、钙、镁等与超重肥胖儿童NAFLD的患病风险无关。.