An Outbreak of Acute Hepatitis in a Medical Facility of Bangladesh

Evaluation of the Diagnostic Utility of Selected Serum Adipokines and Cytokines in Subjects with MASLD-A Pilot Study

Excess adipose tissue, particularly of the visceral type, triggering chronic low-grade inflammation and altering its secretory profile, is a contributing factor to the initiation and progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). This study aimed to compare the levels of selected adipokines and cytokines in individuals with normal weight and obesity, assessing their potential for diagnosing MASLD and establishing a cutoff point for body fat content associated with hepatic steatosis development. The research involved 99 participants categorized by body mass index and MASLD presence, undergoing body composition analysis, liver elastography, biochemical tests, and evaluation of adipokines and cytokines in serum. The results indicated elevated IL-6 (interleukin 6) serum levels in individuals with obesity with MASLD compared to the normal-weight group without MASLD. The multivariate regression analysis demonstrated a connection between hepatic steatosis and total adipose tissue content, VAT (visceral adipose tissue), VAT/SAT (subcutaneous adipose tissue) ratio, HOMA-IR (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance), IL-6, Il-1β (interleukin 1β), and MMP-2 (matrix metalloproteinase 2). Among the adipokines and cytokines examined in this study, interleukin 6 was the strongest predictor of MASLD regardless of gender. In addition, an association between the development of hepatic steatosis and higher serum IL-1β levels and higher adipose tissue was observed in women. However, further studies on a larger group of patients are needed to consider the use of these cytokines as markers of MASLD. The HOMA-IR index demonstrated potential diagnostic utility in identifying hepatic steatosis.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of serum resistin level and its relation to HOMA-IR score using meta-regression in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) comorbidity with adipose tissue dysfunction is not new and studies have focused on how adipose tissue influences NAFLD pathophysiology. OBJECTIVE: Quantification of nature and magnitude of the association between serum resistin and also insulin resistance, by calculating pooled Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) score, with NAFLD pathophysiology was the objective of the current study. METHODS: Using systematic review and meta-analysis and standardized mean difference (SMD) as the effect size, the levels of resistin and HOMA-IR scores have been investigated in NAFLD subjects in comparison with controls in the case-control studies using random-effects models. RESULTS: This meta-analysis retrieved a total number of 665 and 522 cases and 671 and 555 control subjects until May 2020 for serum levels of resistin and HOMA-IR score until May 2020. The final analyses demonstrated that pooled SMD of resistin and HOMA-IR score was 0.687 (95% confidence interval, 0.070–1.304) and 1.368 (95% confidence interval, 1.080–1.655); respectively. Moreover, the p-value for the test of significance for each pooled SMD was examined by the z-test and calculated as 0.029 and 0.000 for resistin and HOMA-IR score (clearly considered as statistically significant). CONCLUSION: Based on the findings, the HOMA-IR score and the serum levels of resistin in NAFLD subjects are associated with disease pathogenesis.

Acute Elevated Resistin Exacerbates Mitochondrial Damage and Aggravates Liver Steatosis Through AMPK/PGC-1α Signaling Pathway in Male NAFLD Mice

Resistin was identified as a link between obesity and insulin resistance and is associated with many diseases in mice. Deciphering the related development and molecular mechanism is necessary for the treatment of these diseases. Previous studies have revealed that increased resistin levels are correlated with lipid accumulation and play a role in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) development. However, the exact mechanisms underlying these processes remain unclear. To further clarify whether acute elevated resistin level exacerbated liver steatosis, a high-fat diet-induced NAFLD animal model was used and treated with or without resistin for 6 days. We discovered that resistin altered mitochondrial morphology, decreased mitochondrial content, and increased lipid accumulation in HFD mice. qRT-PCR and western blot analysis showed that acute elevated resistin significantly altered the gene expression of mitochondrial biogenesis and liver lipid metabolism molecules in HFD mice. Consequently, in vitro experiments verified that resistin reduced the mitochondrial content, impaired the mitochondrial function and increased the lipid accumulation of palmitate-treated HepG2 cells. Additionally, we demonstrated that resistin upregulated proinflammatory factors, which confirmed that resistin promoted the development of inflammation in NAFLD mice and palmitate-treated HepG2 cells. Signaling-transduction analysis demonstrated that acute elevated resistin aggravated liver steatosis through AMPK/PGC-1α pathway in male mice. This reveals a novel pathway through which lipogenesis is induced by resistin and suggests that maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis may be key to treatments for preventing resistin-induced NAFLD aggravation.