Research advances in pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract:

In recent years, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has increased because of the growing prevalence of obesity and overweight in the pediatric population. It has become the most common form of chronic liver diseases in children and the related research on NAFLD is expanded. The "two-hit" and "multiple hit" hypothesis have been widely accepted, and some research has shown that genetic, diet structure and environmental factors appear to play a crucial role in the development of pediatric NAFLD. Though it is expected by researchers, there is not an available satisfactory noninvasive marker for the diagnosis of this disease. Fortunately, some new non-invasive prediction scores for pediatric NAFLD have been developed. There is currently no established special therapy, and lifestyle intervention should be adequate for most cases of NAFLD in children. This article reviews the advances in the current knowledge and ideas concerning pediatric NAFLD, and discusses the diagnosis, perspective therapies and scoring methods for this disease.