Relationship between Quantitative Sonographic Measurements and Serum Biochemical Parameters in Childhood Obesity

We investigated the relationship between sonographic measurements of fatty liver and body mass index standard deviation score (BMI-Z score), abdominal wall fat thickness (AWFT), and serum biochemical parameters in childhood obesity. Anthropometric, laboratory, and ultrasonography data were obtained from 174 children with BMI-Z score >1. After the qualitative grading of hepatosteatosis (grades 0-3), the quantitative liver-kidney echogenicity ratio (LKER) was calculated using a software tool. Groups according to sex, age (AG-I to AG-III), BMI-Z score (BMG-I to BMG-III), and hepatosteatosis degree (HS-I and HS-II) were formed. The differences and distributions of the variables were statistically analyzed and compared among the groups. Serum transaminase and glucose levels showed a positive correlation with LKER, whereas the HDL level showed a negative correlation. BMI-Z score and AWFT showed a positive correlation with fasting insulin level and HOMA-IR value. LKER was significantly higher in girls than in boys ( =0.008). In the AG-I group (age 3-8.9 years), the BMI-Z score was significantly higher, whereas AWFT was significantly lower than in the other age groups (