NCT02948647

Healthy Eating Through Reduction Of Excess Sugar

Diets Based on PNPLA3 Genotype for Reducing Liver Fat in Hispanics With Pediatric Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 113 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Southern California · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 12 Years – 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of dietary sugar reduction in obese children and examine whether there are differential effects based on genotype of a single amino acid substitution in the PNPLA3 gene that is highly prevalent in Hispanics and associated with significantly elevated liver fat.

Detailed description

This dietary intervention aims at developing a more personalized and targeted treatment for NAFLD in Hispanic children and adolescents who are GG for the PNPLA3 variant. The investigators previous publications have shown that this particular demographic has a greater than 2-fold higher liver fat compared to GC and CC individuals. They have also demonstrated a significant gene\*dietary sugar interaction with a significant association between liver fat and dietary sugar intake in GG subjects with no such association in GC or CC individuals. These studies suggests that different dietary strategies may have differential effects on reducing liver fat, depending on PNPLA3 genotype. To confirm this, the investigators will complete a clinical trial in 120 overweight and obese Hispanic children (12 - 18 years) with clinically verified NAFLD who will be randomized to one of two 12-week interventions: Group 1 (standard of care control group): Dietary intervention focused on healthy eating (n=60; 30GG + 30GC/CC) Group 2 (standard of care + sugar reduction): Dietary intervention based on healthy eating and sugar reduction focused on reduction of sugary beverages and added sugar towards a goal of 10% of daily calories (n=60; 30GG + 30GC/CC) The following outcomes will be measured before and after intervention: Total liver fat fraction, and visceral and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue volume by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); liver fibrosis by magnetic resonance elastography (MRE); total body fat by DEXA; liver enzymes, fasting insulin, glucose, lipids, free fatty acids and inflammatory markers, gut microbiome, and insulin and glucose response to an oral glucose challenge. The investigators hypothesize that liver fat fraction, liver fibrosis, and metabolic outcomes, such as fasting and 2h-glucose and insulin, and inflammatory biomarkers, will show significantly greater improvements with sugar reduction relative to control. In addition, the investigators also hypothesize a treatment\*genotype interaction whereby the reduction in liver fat will be significantly greater in GG relative to CC/CG subjects.

Conditions

• NAFLD

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Standard of care plus sugar-reduction education	This is a 12-week intervention where subjects will be educated on how to monitor their added sugar consumption. They will be asked to eliminate consumption of sweetened beverages for the 12-week period and will be receiving a weekly delivery of water bottles to their homes to displace the sweetened beverages in their home environment.

Timeline

• Start date: 2016-11-01
• Primary completion: 2020-11-01
• Completion: 2021-11-01
• First posted: 2016-10-28
• Last updated: 2021-12-09

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States