Increased liver enzymes in adult women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency

H Falhammar, H Filipsson, G Holmdahl… - Endocrine …, 2009 - jstage.jst.go.jp
H Falhammar, H Filipsson, G Holmdahl, PO Janson, A Nordenskjöld, K Hagenfeldt…
Endocrine Journal, 2009jstage.jst.go.jp
the aims were assessing liver function tests (lFt) in women with congenital adrenal
hyperplasia (CaH) on glucocorticoids. Sixty-one women with genetically verified CAH due to
21-hydroxylase deficiency, aged 18-63 years were compared to 61 controls. serum alkaline
phosphatase (alp), alanine aminotransferase (alt), aspartate aminotransferase (ast) and
gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGt), anthropometry and fat mass (dual energy X-ray
absorptiometry) were measured. ALT and GGT were higher in the entire patient group (p …
Abstract
the aims were assessing liver function tests (lFt) in women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CaH) on glucocorticoids. Sixty-one women with genetically verified CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, aged 18-63 years were compared to 61 controls. serum alkaline phosphatase (alp), alanine aminotransferase (alt), aspartate aminotransferase (ast) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGt), anthropometry and fat mass (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) were measured. ALT and GGT were higher in the entire patient group (p= 0.01 and 0.002); AST, GGT and ALP in patients≥ 30 years (p= 0.007-0.045); all lFt in salt-wasting (p< 0.001-0.042); GGt in simple virilizing (p= 0.008); alt, GGt and alp in null/null genotype (p= 0.018-0.040); alt and GGt in i2splice genotype (p< 0.001 and 0.011). using a recently proposed cut-off level for ALT (> 0.317 µkat/L), 54% of patients vs 23% of controls had elevated levels (p= 0.028). In patients, GGT and ALP correlated with waist circumference and with total body and trunk fat (r= 0.274-0.406, p= 0.001-0.043). However, ALT, GGT and ALP were increased even in non-obese patients (waist circumference≤ 88 cm and body mass index< 30 kg/m2)(p= 0.012-0.045) mainly attributed to the patients≥ 30 years who also demonstrated elevated insulin levels and HOMA-indices. In conclusion, compared with controls, women with CAH have higher LFT, in particular patients≥ 30 years and those with severe forms, probably reflecting a higher lifetime glucocorticoid exposure. LFT were positively correlated to measurements of body fat. These women might have increased frequency of NAFLD. The finding of higher LFT also in non-obese patients suggests that not only central obesity but also glucocorticoids per se may influence.
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