All issues > Volume 48(3); 2005

Original Article

Korean J Pediatr. 2005;48(3):276-283. Published online March 15, 2005.

Correlation of Body Mass Index, Body Fat Distribution, Aminotranferases and Computed Tomography in Obese Children with Fatty Liver

So Eun SE Park¹, Hye Ran HR Yang¹, Ju Young JY Chang¹, Jae Sung JS Ko¹, Jeong Kee JK Seo¹, Whal W Lee², Woo Sun WS Kim²

¹Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Jeong Kee JK Seo ,Email: jkseo@snu.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: Visceral fat accumulation plays a major role in metabolic complications of obesity. It is known that nonalcoholic fatty liver in obese adults is associated with visceral fat accumulation. Body mass index(BMI) is used as the index of obesity in children. The aim of this study is to evaluate the correlation of BMI and visceral adipose tissue(VAT), and the correlation of BMI, body fat distribution, aminotransferases, and severity of fatty liver.
Methods
: Twenty three obese children with fatty liver diagnosed by non-contrast abdominal computed tomography(CT) were included in this study. Data on BMI, aminotransferase levels were collected from clinical records. Visceral adipose area was evaluated with CT.
Results
: BMI had a singnificant correlation with VAT(r=0.51719, P=0.0115). The severity of fatty liver had no significant correlations with BMI(r=-0.11938, P=0.5876), VAT(r=-0.31234, P=0.1468), aspartate aminotransferase(AST)(r=0.12729, P=0.5628) or alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(r=-0.00179, P= 0.9935).
Conclusion
: BMI in obese children was correlated with VAT. But the severity of fatty liver cannot be assessed by BMI, VAT or aminotransferase levels.

Keywords :Obesity , Fatty liver , Body mass index , Fat distribution , Computed tomography