Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32045441›Full record

ArticlePloS one2020

The effect of liver enzymes on body composition: A Mendelian randomization study.

Junxi Liu, Shiu Lun Au Yeung, Man Ki Kwok, June Yue Yan Leung, Lai Ling Hui, Gabriel Matthew Leung, C Mary Schooling

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 42% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Junxi LiuSchool of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Shiu Lun Au YeungSchool of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0001-6136-1836
Man Ki KwokSchool of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
June Yue Yan LeungSchool of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Lai Ling HuiSchool of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Gabriel Matthew LeungSchool of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
C Mary SchoolingSchool of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0001-9933-5887
University of Hong Kong · HKChinese University of Hong Kong · HKCity University of New York · US

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_PC_12028Medical Research Council MC_PC_17228Medical Research Council MC_QA137853
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHigher alanine transaminase (ALT), indicating poor liver function, is positively associated with diabetes but inversely associated with body mass index (BMI) in Mendelian randomization (MR) studies, suggesting liver function affects muscle mass. To clarify, we assessed the associations of liver enzymes with muscle and fat mass observationally with two-sample MR as a validation.

methodsIn the population-representative "Children of 1997" birth cohort (n = 3,455), we used multivariable linear regression to assess the adjusted associations of ALT and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) at ~17.5 years with muscle mass and body fat percentage observationally. Genetic variants predicting ALT, ALP and gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) were applied to fat-free and fat mass in the UK Biobank (n = ~331,000) to obtain unconfounded MR estimates.

resultsObservationally, ALT was positively associated with muscle mass (0.11 kg per IU/L, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.10 to 0.12) and fat percentage (0.15% per IU/L, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.17). ALP was inversely associated with muscle mass (-0.03 kg per IU/L, 95% CI -0.04 to -0.02) and fat percentage (-0.02% per IU/L, 95% CI -0.03 to -0.01). Using MR, ALT was inversely associated with fat-free mass (-0.41 kg per 100% in concentration, 95% CI -0.64 to -0.19) and fat mass (-0.58 kg per 100% in concentration, 95% CI -0.85 to -0.30). ALP and GGT were unclearly associated with fat-free mass or fat mass.

conclusionALT reducing fat-free mass provides a possible pathway for the positive association of ALT with diabetes and suggests a potential target of intervention.

Indexed as

Body CompositionAdolescentAlanine TransaminaseAlkaline PhosphataseBody Mass IndexCohort StudiesFemalegamma-GlutamyltransferaseHand StrengthHumansLinear ModelsLiverMaleMendelian Randomization AnalysisPolymorphism, Single NucleotideAlanine TransaminaseAlkaline Phosphatasegamma-Glutamyltransferase

Identifiers

PMID32045441
PMCPMC7012438
OpenAlexW3006226539

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.