Circulating adropin and preptin levels in non‑alcoholic steatohepatitis and their relationship with carotid intima media thickness: A cross‑sectional study from Türkiye

Abstract

Background: Adropin and preptin have recently been identified as peptide hormones that may mediate metabolic dysfunction and vascular injury. However, their clinical relevance in non‑alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) remains unclear.

Aim: To evaluate adropin and preptin levels and their association with carotid intima‑media thickness (CIMT) in biopsy‑proven NASH.

Materials and Methods: Forty NASH patients and 30 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. All participants had no diabetes, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia. anthropometric, biochemical measurements and Doppler ultrasonography were performed. Statistical analyses included Student’s t‑test, Mann–Whitney U test, correlation analyses, and multivariate logistic regression.

Results: In the NASH group, mean CIMT was significantly higher than in controls (P < 0.01). CIMT was not correlated with adropin and preptin levels (P = 0.166 and P = 0.325, respectively). Serum adropin and preptin levels in NASH group were significantly lower than those in controls (P = 0.02 and P = 0.35, respectively). Adropin levels were negatively correlated with body fat mass (r = −0.383, P = 0.02) and body fat percentage (r = −0.349, P = 0.03), while preptin showed no correlations with body fat parameters. Furthermore, adropin and preptin levels exhibited moderate negative correlations with steatosis grade (r = −0.451, P = 0.002 and r = −0.376, P = 0.008, respectively), necroinflammatory activity (NAI) (r = –0.275, P = 0.04 and r = –0.387, P = 0.03, respectively), and weak, non‑significant correlations with fibrosis (r = –0.24, P = 0.08). BMI independently predicted NASH (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.13–1.84, P = 0.004).

Conclusion: Decreased serum adropin and preptin levels may indicate hepatic disease severity and associated metabolic dysregulation
independently of vascular changes. However, further studies are needed to define their clinical utility in NASH.