Exploring biomarkers for alcohol-induced liver cirrhosis

In this study, researchers from the Medical University of Lublin in Poland evaluated serum levels of the anti-inflammatory adipokines kallistatin and chemerin in patients with different stages of alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Their findings were published in the journal Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine.

• In Poland, the number of patients hospitalized due to liver diseases is increasing.
• One of the most common liver diseases is liver cirrhosis. This can be caused by excessive alcohol consumption, viral hepatitis, autoimmune processes and metabolic diseases.
• To determine the association between kallistatin and chemerin levels and alcoholic liver cirrhosis, the researchers studied 99 patients with the disease. They used ELISA kits to determine the serum concentration of kallistatin and chemerin.
• They compared the results with those from a control group, which consisted of 20 healthy individuals.
• The researchers reported that the control group had the highest serum chemerin levels (182.6 nanograms per milliliter [ng/mL]).
• They observed the following chemerin levels in other stages of liver cirrhosis:
  • Child-Pugh stage A (Ch-P A)- 175.7 ng/mL
  • Ch-P B – 150.2 ng/mL
  • Ch-P C – 110.3 ng/mL
• The researchers also found the highest level of kallistatin in the serum samples of the control group (8.2 micrograms [mcg]/mL).
• They recorded the following kallistatin levels in other stages of liver cirrhosis:
  • Ch-P A – 7.2 mcg/mL
  • Ch-P B – 4.4 mcg/mL
  • Ch-P C – 3.5 mcg/mL

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that the levels of chemerin and kallistatin decrease with progression of liver damage during alcoholic liver cirrhosis due to impairment of liver function.

Journal Reference:

Prystupa A, Kicinski P, Luchowska-Kocot D, Sak J, Prystupa T, Tan Y-H, Panasiuk L, Zaluska W. FACTORS INFLUENCING SERUM CHEMERIN AND KALLISTATIN CONCENTRATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH ALCOHOL-INDUCED LIVER CIRRHOSIS. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine. 2019;26(1):143–147. DOI: 10.26444/aaem/100536