Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations associate with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in adolescents independent of adiposity.

Background and Aims Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ( NAFLD) and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (s25[ OH] D) concentrations are both associated with adiposity and insulin resistance ( IR) and thus may be pathogenically linked. We aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in adolescents with NAFLD and to investigate the prospective and cross-sectional associations between s25[ OH] D concentrations and NAFLD. Methods Participants in the population-based West Australian Pregnancy ( Raine) Cohort had seasonally adjusted s25( OH) D concentrations determined at ages 14 and then 17 years. NAFLD was diagnosed at 17 years using liver ultrasonography. Associations were examined after adjusting for potential confounders. Odds ratios ( ORs) and confidence intervals ( CIs) are reported per standard deviation in s25( OH) D concentrations. Results NAFLD was present in 16% (156/994) of adolescents. The majority of participants with NAFLD had either insufficient (51%) or deficient (17%) vitamin D status. s25(OH)D concentrations at 17 years were inversely associated with risk of NAFLD ( OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.56, 0.97; P = 0.029), after adjusting for sex, race, physical activity, television/computer viewing, body mass index, and IR. The effect of s25( OH) D concentrations at 17 years was minimally affected after further adjusting for s25( OH) D concentrations at 14 years ( OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.56, 1.03; P = 0.072). Conclusions Lower s25( OH) D concentrations are significantly associated with NAFLD, independent of adiposity and IR. Screening for vitamin D deficiency in adolescents at risk of NAFLD is appropriate, and clinical trials investigating the effect of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention and treatment of NAFLD may be warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]