Is There any Need for the Early Detection of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus?

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of liver disorders worldwide. Regarding the shortage of evidence on NAFLD in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and the importance of a thorough assessment of complications due to childhood diseases, this study aimed to assess the need for the early detection of NAFLD in children with T1DM. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 234 children with T1DM referred to 17 Shahrivar Hospital, Rasht, Iran. This study also assessed demographic characteristics, medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and hepatic ultrasound. The Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests were used to compare the children with and without NAFLD. Additionally, univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine the predictors of NAFLD. Results: This study was conducted on 235 children with T1DM with a median age of 11.0 years (interquartile range (IQR): 8.0 - 14.0) and diabetes duration of 2.0 years (IQR: 1.0 - 4.0). The prevalence of NAFLD was estimated to be 10.2%. The children with NAFLD were significantly older (P = 0.016) and had a larger waist circumference (WC) z-score (P = 0.008) than those without NAFLD. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the odds of NAFLD increased with rising age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09 - 1.52) and WC z-score (OR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.49 - 3.84). The cut-off point for the WC z-score was -0.025 (sensitivity = 58.3%, specificity = 72.0%). Conclusions: The NAFLD frequency in T1DM is relatively low (10.2%) and mainly consists of grade I fatty liver. The NAFLD screening should be further noticed in T1DM children with increasing age and WC as the predictors of NAFLD.