Age-dependency of galactose elimination capacity in healthy children and children with chronic liver disease.

OBJECTIVE

Galactose elimination capacity (GEC) is used as a quantitative measure of liver metabolic function with prognostic value in adults with acute and chronic liver failure. Almost no data are available regarding GEC in children, however. This study thus aims to meet the previously unmet clinical need for age-related data on GEC in children.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We studied galactose elimination in 10 healthy children (median age 10.7 years; range 7 months to 16 years) and 30 children with chronic liver disease (median age 8.6 years; range 3 months to 16 years). GEC was estimated from the linear decrease in concentration of galactose in arterialized capillary blood from the ear following intravenous infusion of galactose.

RESULTS

In both groups of children, GEC (μmol/min/kg body weight) was highest in the youngest children and decreased with age, although at a significantly lower level in the children with liver disease (p = 0.05). GEC was significantly higher in healthy children than in healthy adults, diminishing to the adult level by the age of 16 years.

CONCLUSIONS

GEC was found to be higher in children than in adults until the age of 16 years. Moreover, GEC was significantly lower in children with chronic liver disease than in healthy children, underlining that GEC testing also has potential clinical usefulness as a quantitative measure of liver metabolic function in children.