Liver enzymes in children and adolescents with eating disorders

Paradoxical increase of plasma vitamin B12 and folates with disease severity in anorexia nervosa

“…Therefore, although folates and vitamin B 12 were positively correlated with each other, only vitamin B 12 was significantly higher, further indicating that the specific liver storage of this latter vitamin plays a role in generating the difference. In our AN population, ALP and CHE values were also below the normal range in considerable percentages of patients, as shown by other studies, too , . Neither CHE, nor ALP, however, were correlated with transaminases and comparing those patients with low levels of the two enzymes compared with patients displaying normal levels, no differences emerged relative to AST, ALT, and vitamin B 12 levels.…”

“…In our AN population, ALP and CHE values were also below the normal range in considerable percentages of patients, as shown by other studies, too. 15,22 Neither CHE, nor ALP, however, were correlated with transaminases and comparing those patients with low levels of the two enzymes compared with patients displaying normal levels, no differences emerged relative to AST, ALT, and vitamin B 12 levels.…”

Associations of Elevated Liver Enzymes among Hospitalized Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa

“…Previous investigations were limited to case studies 4,10 and studies with relatively small sample sizes, 12,13 and reported a wide range in the prevalence of elevated liver enzymes in AN, from 0% to 76%. Our reported prevalence of 37.0% on admission and 41.1% at any point during the hospitalization is in line with the second largest study on the topic, which reported a 43% prevalence at admission (n = 126).…”

“…4 Liver enzyme abnormalities among patients with AN remain poorly characterized. The few studies of elevations in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in AN are limited to case reports [4][5][6][7][8][9][10] and studies with small sample sizes, [11][12][13][14][15] with a wide range in the reported prevalence of elevated ALT/AST, from 0% to 76%. 11 In initial studies researchers found that elevated ALT/AST was associated with lower body mass index (BMI) 11,13 and decreased percentage body fat.…”

Hypertransaminasemia and hypophosphoremia in an adolescent with anorexia nervosa: an event to watch for

“…The prevalence of a mild increase in serum transaminases levels in AN patients prior to refeeding range widely and it is observed in up to 76 % [ 1 , 3 ]. Marked increases (>200 UI/L) are less common; an inverse relationship between aminotransferase levels and body mass index (BMI) suggests that nutritional states play a role in liver changes of these patients [ 4 , 5 ]. In fact it occurs when BMI reaches a critically low level [ 6 ], particularly less than 12 kg/m 2 [ 7 ].…”