Type 1 autoimmune hepatitis and adipokines: new markers for activity and disease progression?
OBJECTIVE
Cytokines may play an important role as inflammatory factors in liver diseases. There is some evidence suggesting a link between adiponectin-biliary function and liver disease. The aim of this study was to clarify the behavior of adipokines in autoimmune hepatitis type 1.


METHODS
We assessed the circulating levels of adiponectin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, resistin and leptin in 42 patients with autoimmune hepatitis, comparing them with 42 healthy subjects who were matched for age and sex and with 31 patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), evaluating the associations with markers of cytolysis, cholestasis, and histological severity.


RESULTS
Adiponectin and TNF-alpha values were higher in patients compared to controls. The patients showed significantly higher Homeostasis Model Assessment values, suggesting an increased insulin resistance and serum levels of adiponectin positively correlated with gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase and alkaline phosphatase values after a simple regression analysis. Serum levels of resistin positively correlated with elevated aminotransferases and bilirubin values, and serum levels of TNF-alpha positively correlated with elevated alanine-aminotransferase and resistin values. The concentration of adiponectin increased significantly with staging of the disease. Patients with NASH showed lower levels of adiponectin and higher levels of resistin than AIH patients and controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with AIH showed significantly higher adiponectin concentrations than controls despite their higher HOMA-IR values. The significant correlation between adiponectin levels and serological features of cholestasis suggested an association with biliary function. Our results indicate that adiponectin may be a possible marker for disease progression in AIH.
Durazzo
Marilena
M
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. marilena.durazzo@unito.it
Niro
Grazia
G
Premoli
Alberto
A
Morello
Enrico
E
Rizzotto
Erik Rosa
ER
Gambino
Roberto
R
Bo
Simona
S
Musso
Giovanni
G
Cassader
Maurizio
M
Pagano
Gianfranco
G
Floreani
Annarosa
A
D054392:Adipokines / Q000097:blood*; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D019693:Hepatitis, Autoimmune / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052243:Resistin / Q000097:blood; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
D054392:Adipokines; D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D052243:Resistin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000637:Transaminases