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Obesity and fat quantification in lean tissues using three-point Dixon MR imaging

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Abstract

Background: It has been suggested that increased hepatic and intramuscular fat is associated with insulin resistance, and that increased pancreatic fat is related to impaired insulin secretion. Objective: We postulated that in obese nondiabetic teenagers insulin levels would be directly related to increases in intramuscular and hepatic fat and inversely related to increases in pancreatic fat. Materials and methods: MRI was used to assess the percentage of fat in the liver, muscle and pancreas in 15 healthy Mexican-American girls, 14–17 years old, with body mass indexes (BMIs) ranging from 17.7 kg/m2 to 46 kg/m2. Results: Strong correlations were observed between BMI and fat content in the liver, muscle, and pancreas (r2s between 0.50 and 0.89; P<0.003). Serum insulin levels were closely associated with fat measures in the muscle and liver (r2s=0.63 and 0.29, and P=0.001 and P=0.023, respectively). In contrast to our hypothesis, fat content in the pancreas was also directly related to insulin secretion (r2=0.74; P=0.001). Summary: We conclude that in nondiabetic teenagers, obesity is associated with an increased accumulation of fat in the pancreas without impairment of insulin secretion.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their acknowledgement of and appreciation for the support of General Electric Medical Systems, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, MS#81, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, 4650 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA

    Arzu Kovanlikaya & Vicente Gilsanz

  2. Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Steven D. Mittelman, Andrette Ward & Mitchell E. Geffner

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Frederick Dorey

Authors
  1. Arzu Kovanlikaya
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  2. Steven D. Mittelman
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  3. Andrette Ward
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  4. Mitchell E. Geffner
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  5. Frederick Dorey
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  6. Vicente Gilsanz
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Correspondence to Vicente Gilsanz.

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Kovanlikaya, A., Mittelman, S.D., Ward, A. et al. Obesity and fat quantification in lean tissues using three-point Dixon MR imaging. Pediatr Radiol 35, 601–607 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-005-1413-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-005-1413-y

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