<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">


<bold>Background:</bold> Obesity, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes are risk factors for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Inflammation and hepatocellular damage associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease lead to progressive non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis. Current tests to identify fibrosis (liver biopsy) are invasive and not conducive to serial examination. For that reason, we used the newer technique of shear wave elastogrophy (SWE) to detect fibrosis in overweight or obese Hispanic youth and sought to determine if carbohydrate tolerance or insulin resistance were associated with fibrosis in this high risk population. <bold>Methods:</bold> A total of 67 Hispanic youth (8–18 years of age) with overweight or obesity who were referred for multidisciplinary evaluation were included. SWE was used to identify those with suspected fibrosis. Results of SWE were then compared with glycohemoglobin (A1c), insulin resistance (homeostatic model of insulin resistance), and biochemical parameters. <bold>Results:</bold> The prevalence of suspected fibrosis (SWE >5.10 kPa) in overweight or obese Hispanic youth was 62.7% (42/67). Patients with suspected fibrosis (SWE ≥5.10 kPa) had significantly higher levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and the aminotransferase to platelet ratio index when compared to patients without significant fibrosis (SWE &lt;5.01 kPa). However, there were no significant differences between the groups in body mass index, A1c, or homeostatic model of insulin resistance. <bold>Conclusions:</bold> SWE detected a high prevalence (62.7%) of suspected hepatic fibrosis in a group of high risk, overweight or obese Hispanic youth suggesting that SWE is a useful tool for surveillance and longitudinal studies.
</abstract>

Background: Obesity, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes are risk factors for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Inflammation and hepatocellular damage associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease lead to progressive non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis. Current tests to identify fibrosis (liver biopsy) are invasive and not conducive to serial examination. For that reason, we used the newer technique of shear wave elastogrophy (SWE) to detect fibrosis in overweight or obese Hispanic youth and sought to determine if carbohydrate tolerance or insulin resistance were associated with fibrosis in this high risk population. Methods: A total of 67 Hispanic youth (8–18 years of age) with overweight or obesity who were referred for multidisciplinary evaluation were included. SWE was used to identify those with suspected fibrosis. Results of SWE were then compared with glycohemoglobin (A1c), insulin resistance (homeostatic model of insulin resistance), and biochemical parameters. Results: The prevalence of suspected fibrosis (SWE >5.10 kPa) in overweight or obese Hispanic youth was 62.7% (42/67). Patients with suspected fibrosis (SWE ≥5.10 kPa) had significantly higher levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and the aminotransferase to platelet ratio index when compared to patients without significant fibrosis (SWE <5.01 kPa). However, there were no significant differences between the groups in body mass index, A1c, or homeostatic model of insulin resistance. Conclusions: SWE detected a high prevalence (62.7%) of suspected hepatic fibrosis in a group of high risk, overweight or obese Hispanic youth suggesting that SWE is a useful tool for surveillance and longitudinal studies.

Shear wave elastography reveals a high prevalence of liver fibrosis in overweight or obese Hispanic youth

Journal of Ultrasonography

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Background: Obesity, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes are risk factors for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Inflammation and hepatocellular damage associated...

Shear wave elastography reveals a high prevalence of liver fibrosis in overweight or obese Hispanic youth

Article Category: research-article

Published Online: Sep 28, 2020

Page range: 162 - 168

Received: Mar 09, 2020

Accepted: Jul 07, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15557/jou.2020.0027

Keywords
prediabetes, fibrosis, diabetes, elastography, Hispanic

© 2021 Polish Ultrasound Society. Published by Medical Communications Sp. z o.o.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Shear wave elastography reveals a high prevalence of liver fibrosis in overweight or obese Hispanic youth

Article Category: research-article

Published Online: Sep 28, 2020

Page range: 162 - 168

Received: Mar 09, 2020

Accepted: Jul 07, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15557/jou.2020.0027

Keywordsprediabetes, fibrosis, diabetes, elastography, Hispanic

© 2021 Polish Ultrasound Society. Published by Medical Communications Sp. z o.o.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
prediabetes, fibrosis, diabetes, elastography, Hispanic