Prevalence of Liver Steatosis and Fibrosis Detected by Transient Elastography in Adolescents in the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is common among adolescents, but the prevalence of significant fibrosis in this age group is not known. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of MAFLD and significant (≥F2) fibrosis by transient elastography (TE) in adolescents in the United States.

METHODS

We analyzed TE data from participants 12-18 years old included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2018 (data available from 867 adolescents). Steatosis was evaluated by the median controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and fibrosis by median liver stiffness measurement.

RESULTS

Two-hundred forty participants (24.16%; 95% CI, 21.07-27.24) had any degree of steatosis (CAP≥248 dBm), 123 participants (11.6%; 95% CI, 9.19-14.06) had S3 steatosis (CAP≥280 dBm), and 51 participants (4.4%; 95% CI, 2.51-6.33) had significant fibrosis (liver stiffness ≥7.4 kPa). Multivariate analyses revealed that body mass index (odds ratio [OR] per unit increase, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.2-1.4), sex (OR female vs male participants , 0.5; 95% CI, 0.4-0.7), ethnicity (OR, Hispanic vs non-Hispanic white, 4.5; 95% CI, 1.7-11.8), and hypertension (OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.3-9.9) were associated with S3 steatosis, whereas body mass index (OR, 1.1 per unit increase; 95% CI, 1.0-1.2) and ethnicity (OR, non-Hispanic black vs non-Hispanic white, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.2-13.2) were associated with significant fibrosis. High proportions of participants with fibrosis were in the normal weight category (35%) and had normal levels of alanine aminotransferase (78%).

CONCLUSIONS

Prevalence of MAFLD and significant fibrosis are alarmingly high in adolescents in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2018. Levels of alanine aminotransferase and blood biomarkers do not correctly identify adolescents with more advanced disease. Effective noninvasive strategies to differentiate simple steatosis from progressive forms are urgently needed.

Comparison of Nottingham Prognostic Index and Adjuvant Online prognostic tools in young women with breast cancer: review of a single-institution experience

OBJECTIVE

Accurately predicting the prognosis of young patients with breast cancer (<40 years) is uncertain since the literature suggests they have a higher mortality and that age is an independent risk factor. In this cohort study we considered two prognostic tools; Nottingham Prognostic Index and Adjuvant Online (Adjuvant!), in a group of young patients, comparing their predicted prognosis with their actual survival.

SETTING

North East England

PARTICIPANTS

Data was prospectively collected from the breast unit at a Hospital in Grimsby between January 1998 and December 2007. A cohort of 102 young patients with primary breast cancer was identified and actual survival data was recorded. The Nottingham Prognostic Index and Adjuvant! scores were calculated and used to estimate 10-year survival probabilities. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to demonstrate the association between the Nottingham Prognostic Index and Adjuvant! scores. A constant yearly hazard rate was assumed to generate 10-year cumulative survival curves using the Nottingham Prognostic Index and Adjuvant! predictions.

RESULTS

Actual 10-year survival for the 92 patients who underwent potentially curative surgery for invasive cancer was 77.2% (CI 68.6% to 85.8%). There was no significant difference between the actual survival and the Nottingham Prognostic Index and Adjuvant! 10-year estimated survival, which was 77.3% (CI 74.4% to 80.2%) and 82.1% (CI 79.1% to 85.1%), respectively. The Nottingham Prognostic Index and Adjuvant! results demonstrated strong correlation and both predicted cumulative survival curves accurately reflected the actual survival in young patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The Nottingham Prognostic Index and Adjuvant! are widely used to predict survival in patients with breast cancer. In this study no statistically significant difference was shown between the predicted prognosis and actual survival of a group of young patients with breast cancer.