title: Chemerin, retinol binding protein-4, cytokeratin-18 and transgelin-2 presence in sera of patients with non-alcoholic liver fatty disease.
abstract: Background. Chemerin and retinol binding protein-4 (RBP-4) are adipokines which may play a role in the progression of NAFLD. It has been also suggested that cytokeratin-18 (CK-18) could be a marker of hepatocyte caspase-directed death while transgelin-2 production could reflect stage of liver fibrosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of the above adipokines in sera of patients with NAFLD and determine the relation between the level of transgelin-2 and fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-five subjects included initially to the study were divided into four groups: (I) prediabetics, obese with NAFLD and metabolic syndrome (MS), (II) lean with NAFLD and without MS, (III) obese without NAFLD and MS, and (IV) healthy individuals. We determined the levels of chemerin, RBP-4, transgelin-2 and CK-18 fragments in sera of patients with NAFLD. Moreover, we examined if the levels of CK-18 fragments and transgelin-2 correlates with FIB4 value.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chemerin and RBP-4 were highly expressed in sera of all NAFLD, especially in obese individuals. Chemerin level was also linked to MS. High level of serum CK-18 fragments and transgelin-2 did not correlate with obesity and MS, but seemed to correlate with progression of NAFLD to liver fibrosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, the production of the two adipokines, chemerin and RBP-4, is strongly associated with obesity in patients with NAFLD. Serum concentrations of CK-18 fragments and transgelin-2 correlate with the severity of NAFLD, but no with obesity.
authors.affiliation: Chair of Internal Medicine and Department of Internal Medicine in Nursing, Medical University of Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zwolak
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology and Immunology, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szuster-Ciesielska
authors.affiliation: Chair of Internal Medicine and Department of Internal Medicine in Nursing, Medical University of Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Jadwiga
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Daniluk
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology and Immunology, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Poland.
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Semeniuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology and Immunology, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Poland.
authors.forename: Martyna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kandefer-Szerszen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018925:Chemokines / Q000097:blood*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D053538:Keratin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D011236:Prediabetic State / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma / Q000032:analysis*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018925:Chemokines; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C488421:KRT18 protein, human; D053538:Keratin-18; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; C478630:RARRES2 protein, human; C101326:RBP4 protein, human; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; C585387:Tagln2 protein, human