Muscle Mass Is Linked to Liver Disease Severity in Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

• Published in: The Journal of pediatrics Vol. 223; pp. 93 - 99.e2
• Main Authors: Yodoshi, Toshifumi, Orkin, Sarah, Arce Clachar, Ana-Catalina, Bramlage, Kristin, Sun, Qin, Fei, Lin, Beck, Andrew F., Xanthakos, Stavra A., Trout, Andrew T., Mouzaki, Marialena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.08.2020
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Child; community deprivation index; Female; Humans; liver fat fraction; liver fibrosis; liver steatosis; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - complications; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - diagnostic imaging; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - pathology; psoas muscle volumes; Psoas Muscles - diagnostic imaging; Psoas Muscles - pathology; Retrospective Studies; sarcopenia; Sarcopenia - diagnosis; Sarcopenia - etiology; Sarcopenia - pathology; Severity of Illness Index; Young Adult; psoas muscle volumes; MRE; T2DM; NAFLD; ALP; LDL-C; MRI; liver steatosis; ALT; CDI; TNF; HDL; PDFF; liver fat fraction; HbA1c; sarcopenia; BMI; AST; NASH; CT; HOMA-IR; liver fibrosis; GGT; community deprivation index; tPMSA
• ISSN: 0022-3476; 1097-6833
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.04.046

To investigate the association between muscle mass and liver disease severity in pediatric patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This was a retrospective study of patients aged <20 years followed from 2009 to 2018. Muscle mass was estimated in all patients by measuring magnetic resonance imaging-based total psoas muscle surface area (tPMSA) and correcting for height (tPMSA index = tPMSA/height2). Two cohorts were studied, one with histological confirmation of NAFLD (n = 100) and the other with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of hepatic steatosis (n = 236). Histology was scored using Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network (NASH CRN) criteria. MRI-measured proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and liver stiffness were collected. Demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic status (using a validated Community Deprivation Index [CDI]) were assessed as covariates. Univariate regression analyses, followed by multivariable regression analyses, were used to determine the relationships between tPMSA index and NAS, MRI-PDFF, and liver stiffness, adjusting for clinical, demographic, and CDI variables. In the multivariable regression analyses, higher steatosis score was associated with a lower tPMSA index (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.56-0.96) and younger age (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.73-0.97). Liver PDFF was also significantly associated with the tPMSA index (P = .029), sex (P = .019), and CDI (P = .005). In contrast, liver stiffness was not associated with tPMSA in multivariable analyses. tPMSA index was independently associated with both imaging and histological features of hepatic steatosis severity in children. Future studies should directly explore the presence and directionality of causative links between muscle mass and steatosis, as well as whether interventions that enhance muscle mass can reduce disease severity in children with NAFLD.