Relation between Liver Transaminases and Dyslipidaemia among 2-10 y.o. Northern Mexican Children

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The increase in overweight and obese children may be linked to increased rates of liver damage and dyslipidaemia. This study aimed to explore the associations of liver biomarkers with overweight/obesity and dyslipidaemia in Mexican children. METHODS: The study was a population-based cross-sectional nutritional survey carried out in the State of Nuevo León, Mexico. The study included a 414 subjects aged between 2 and 10 years old (47.8% girls) who took part in the State Survey of Nutrition and Health–Nuevo León 2011/2012. Associations between alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), ALT/AST ratio, and major components of serum lipid profile were assessed. RESULTS: Children with high ALT (defined as ≥P(75)) showed higher prevalence of dyslipidaemia than their counterparts, with high prevalence of high TChol (P = 0.053), non-HDL-chol, TG, and low HDL-chol. Children with an AST/ALT ≥T3 ratio were 0.43-times (95% CI: 0.25–0.74) and 0.27-times (95% CI: 0.17–0.44) low likely to be overweight/obese and to have dyslipidaemia than those with an AST/ALT <T1 ratio, respectively. The risk of high TChol, LDL-chol, non-HDL-chol and TG, and low HDL-chol levels also decreased in AST/ALT ratio groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results pose the need for further investigation on whether AST/ALT may be useful as screening test in the assessment of children with cardiometabolic risk.