AUTHOR=Tas Emir , Bai Shasha , Ou Xiawei , Mercer Kelly , Lin Haixia , Mansfield Kori , Buchmann Robert , Diaz Eva C. , Oden Jon , Børsheim Elisabet , Adams Sean H. , Dranoff Jonathan 

TITLE=Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 to Adiponectin Ratio: A Potential Biomarker to Monitor Liver Fat in Children With Obesity

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2020.00654

DOI=10.3389/fendo.2020.00654

ISSN=1664-2392

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> There is a pressing need for effective and non-invasive biomarkers to track intrahepatic triglyceride (IHTG) in children at-risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), as standard-of-care reference tools, liver biopsy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are impractical to monitor the course disease.</p><p><bold>Objective:</bold> We aimed to examine the association between serum fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-21 to adiponectin ratio (FAR) and IHTG as assessed by MRI in children with obesity.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Serum FGF21 and adiponectin levels and IHTG were measured at two time points (baseline, 6 months) in obese children enrolled in a clinical weight loss program. The association between percent change in FAR and IHTG at final visit was examined using a multiple linear regression model.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> At baseline, FAR was higher in the subjects with NAFLD (<italic>n</italic> = 23, 35.8 ± 41.9 pg/ng) than without NAFLD (<italic>n</italic> = 35, 19.8 ± 13.7 pg/ng; <italic>p</italic> = 0.042). Forty-eight subjects completed both visits and were divided into IHTG loss (≥1% reduction than baseline), no change (within ±1% change), and gain (≥1% increase than baseline) groups. At 6 months, the percent change in FAR was different among the three groups (<italic>p</italic> = 0.005). Multiple linear regression showed a positive relationship between percent change in FAR and the final liver fat percent in sex and pubertal stage-similar subjects with NAFLD at baseline (slope coefficient 6.18, 95% CI 1.90–10.47, <italic>P</italic> = 0.007), but not in those without NAFLD.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> Higher value in percent increase in FAR is positively associated with higher level of IHTG percent value at 6 months in children with baseline NAFLD. FAR could be a potential biomarker to monitor the changes in IHTG in children with NAFLD.</p>