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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Horm Metab Res 2023; 55(04): 251-255
DOI: 10.1055/a-2043-1044
Original Article: Endocrine Care

Prolactin is a Key Factor for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Obese Children

Jianwei Zhang 
1   Paediatric Department, Shaoxing Women and Children’s Hospital, Shaoxing, China
,
Jieqiong Guan
1   Paediatric Department, Shaoxing Women and Children’s Hospital, Shaoxing, China
,
Xiaoli Tang
1   Paediatric Department, Shaoxing Women and Children’s Hospital, Shaoxing, China
,
Jinliang Xu
1   Paediatric Department, Shaoxing Women and Children’s Hospital, Shaoxing, China
› Author Affiliations Funding This study is funded by the Health Commission of Zhejiang Province (2021KY1155) and the Science Technology Department of Shaoxing, China (Grant No. 2020A13033).
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Abstract

This study investigates whether serum prolactin (PRL) is a key factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children. A total of 691 obese childred participated in this study and were divided into a NAFLD group (n=366) and simple obesity (SOB) group (n=325) according to the hepatic ultrasound results. The two groups were matched for gender, age, pubertal development, and body mass index (BMI). All patients underwent an OGTT test, and fasting blood samples were collected to measure prolactin. Stepwise logistic regression was performed to identify significant predictors of NAFLD. Serum prolactin levels were significantly lower in NAFLD subjects than in the SOB subjects [82.4 (56.36, 118.70) vs. 99.78 (63.89, 153.82), p<0.001] (mIU/l). NAFLD was strongly associated with insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and prolactin, with lower levels of prolactin increasing the risk of NAFLD (adjusted ORs=1.741; 95% CI: 1.059–2.860) across the prolactin concentration tertiles after adjustment for confounders. Low serum prolactin levels are associated with the presence of NAFLD; thus, increased circulating prolactin might be a compensatory response for obesity in children.

Key words

children - nonalcoholic fatty liver disease - prolactin - obesity -  metabolic syndrome


Publication History

Received: 04 November 2022

Accepted after revision: 23 February 2023

Accepted Manuscript online:
27 February 2023

Article published online:
05 April 2023

© 2023. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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