Level of serum transaminase between overweight and obese children
Ayu Shintia Shanti, I Gusti Lanang Sidiartha
Departement of Child Health
Medical Faculty, Udayana University / Sanglah Hospital, Denpasar
Abstract
Backround Obesity has become a global issue. One of metabolic complication in obesity was
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. One marker of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was an
increased levels of serum transaminases.
Objective To analyze the comparation level of serum transaminases between overweight and
obese children.
Methods An analytic cross-sectional study, was conducted on August to October 2015. A total
82 subjects from two elementary school (aged 6-10 years old) in Denpasar Bali, with nutritional
status overweight and obese (body mass index P ≥ 85th) met the inclusion criteria. We took body
weight, height measurements, blood samples for examination of serum transaminases, and asked
the parents for information regarding lifestyle and familial history by a questionnaire. The
compare level of serum transaminases between body mass index group (overweight, obese, and
severely obese) in children was analyzed used Kruskal-Wallis, and Post Hoc with P value < 0.05.
Results Level of serum alanin transaminase (ALT) between overweight, obese, and severely
obese children were 14 (6 - 42) U/L; 15 (11 - 44) U/L; 23 ( 9 - 59) U/L respectively. Level of
serum aspartat transaminase (AST) between overweight, obese, and severely obese children were
22 (17 - 36) U/L; 22 (16 - 32) U/L; 24 ( 15 - 41) U/L respectively. Mean difference level of
obese – severely obese group was -5.297 (95% CI -10.58 to -0.02) U/L, P = 0.049, and
overweight - severely obese group was -8.982 (95% CI -14.77 to -3.20) U/L, P = 0.003. But
there was no significant mean differencelevel of serum AST in overweight obese group was
-0.028 (95% CI -2.93 to 2.88) U/L, P = 0.985, in obese – severely obese group was -2.667 (95%
CI 5.27 to 0.07) U/L, P = 0.057, and overweight severely obese group was 2.695 (95% CI
-5.54 to 0.15) U/L, P = 0.063.
Conclussion Mean difference level of serum ALT significantly higher in obese and severely
obese than overweight group .
Key words: Serum transaminases, body mass index, obese children
Correspondence: dr. Ayu Shintia Shanti
Departement of Child Health, Medical Faculty of Udayana University / Sanglah Hospital, Denpasar
Jalan Pulau Nias Denpasar Bali
