Diagnostic significance of biochemical indicators of liver fibrogenesis in adolescents with obesity

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease occurs in most obese people, the main pathway of which is the process of fibrogenesis. The aim of this work was to determine the potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of liver fibrogenesis in adolescents with obesity. The levels of liver fibrosis markers, such as fibronectin, collagen type IV, N-terminal propeptides and C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen, were assessed with the use of IFA method in serum of 226 patients with obesity aged 8-18 years. A significant increase in levels of type IV collagen and fibronectin was observed in children with obesity (P < 0.05). As diagnostic criteria for fibrogenesis and fibrolysis, the levels of N-terminal propeptides and C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen, respectively, were determined. The serum level of N-terminal propeptides of type I collagen significantly exceeds the normal values in all children with obesity compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The biochemical markers (type IV collagen, fibronectin, N-terminal propeptides and C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen) were proven to have high diagnostic informative value in the early diagnosis of liver fibrogenesis in obese adolescents. It was shown that the signs of fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease already occur at the stage of steatosis