LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A recent Children's Hospital Los Angeles study led by Principal Investigator Michael Goran, PhD, and Rachel Schenker, MD, a Fellow in the CHLA Liver Transplant Program, has found a novel combination of plasma-based biomarkers that could potentially predict liver fibrosis linked to metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)—the most common pediatric liver disease in the U.S.
The study findings were published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. The combined presence of these biomarkers—a metabolite called dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) and an enzyme, alanine transaminase (ALT)—could flag early signs of liver fibrosis (scarring due to long term inflammation or damage), particularly in Latino adolescents with obesity who are at elevated risk for MASLD.
Liver fibrosis is currently diagnosed by invasive biopsies or imaging: “There is an urgent need for more accessible, noninvasive, and cheaper screening methods, particularly for high-risk populations such as Latino adolescents with obesity,” says Dr. Goran, Director of the Nutrition and Obesity Program in the Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “We want to identify this disease early while the liver damage of MASLD can still be reversed.”
When Latino adolescents can be at higher risk for MASLD
Between 10%–15% of Latino adolescents and 30%–40% of adolescents with obesity develop MASLD, compared to 5%–10% of the general adolescent population. This higher risk among Latino adolescents is due to high rates of obesity, which causes fat deposition and inflammation in the liver, as well as genetics—about 50% of people with Latino ethnicity have a genetic mutation that raises risk for MASLD.
Prospecting in plasma
Using data and patient samples from the Healthy Eating through Reduction of Excess Sugar (HEROES) trial, a 12-week study of 93 Latino adolescents with obesity funded by an RO1 grant from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, the researchers analyzed blood serum plasma using metabolomics and DNA, and measured liver fat fraction and stiffness.
DHAP, a marker of triglyceride synthesis, was significantly associated with fibrosis. Independently, ALT—a nonspecific marker of liver inflammation—was equally associated. DHAP and ALT combined were better at predicting liver fibrosis in combination than either alone.
“The combination of ALT and DHAP holds significant promise as a potentially low‐cost, noninvasive screening tool for fibrosis in Latino adolescents with obesity,” says Dr. Schenker. “Future studies will need to investigate if this could be an effective screening tool for the entire population.”
Collaborators included Rohit Kohli, MBBS, MS, Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Cholsoon Jang, PhD, and Cuauhtemoc Ramirez, UCI School of Medicine analyzed the data; Hooman Allayee, PhD, Keck School of Medicine of USC; and Xueheng Zhao, PhD, and Kenneth Setchell, PhD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center conducted metabolomics for the study.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Founded in 1901, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is at the forefront of pediatric medicine and is the largest provider of hospital care for children in California. Children’s Hospital is home to renowned experts who work together across disciplines to deliver inclusive and compassionate care, and drive advances that set pediatric standards across the nation and around the globe. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles delivers a level of care that is among the best in the world for a truly diverse population of children. The Hospital is consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation on U.S. News & World Report’s Honor Roll of Best Children’s Hospitals. CHLA is the top-ranked children’s hospital in California and the Pacific U.S. region for 2024-25. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles embraces the hospital’s mission to create hope and build healthier futures. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is among the top 10 children’s hospitals for National Institutes of Health funding. The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles supports the full continuum of research, allowing physicians and scientists to translate discoveries into treatments and bring answers to families faster. The pediatric academic medical center also is home to one of the largest training programs for pediatricians in the United States. And the hospital’s commitment to building strong communities is evident in CHLA’s efforts to fight food insecurity, enhance health education and literacy, and introduce more people to careers in health care. To learn more, follow CHLA on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and X, formerly known as Twitter, and visit CHLA.org/blog.
