Hepatokine and Proinflammatory Cytokine Profile in Patients with Carotid Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease

<b>Background and Aims:</b> Hepatokines have a regulatory function in adipose tissue inflammation, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), cardiovascular diseases, and atherosclerosis. Our aim was to evaluate the profile of proinflammatory cytokines and hepatoki...

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Main Authors: Ana Delfina Cano-Contreras, Maria del Rocio Francisco, Jose Luis Vargas-Basurto, Kevin David González-Gómez, Hector Vivanco-Cid, Karina Guadalupe Hernández-Flores, Peter Grube-Pagola, Federico Bernardo Roesch-Dietlen, Jose Maria Remes-Troche
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Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Biomedicines
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/4/978
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author Ana Delfina Cano-Contreras
Maria del Rocio Francisco
Jose Luis Vargas-Basurto
Kevin David González-Gómez
Hector Vivanco-Cid
Karina Guadalupe Hernández-Flores
Peter Grube-Pagola
Federico Bernardo Roesch-Dietlen
Jose Maria Remes-Troche
author_facet Ana Delfina Cano-Contreras
Maria del Rocio Francisco
Jose Luis Vargas-Basurto
Kevin David González-Gómez
Hector Vivanco-Cid
Karina Guadalupe Hernández-Flores
Peter Grube-Pagola
Federico Bernardo Roesch-Dietlen
Jose Maria Remes-Troche
author_sort Ana Delfina Cano-Contreras
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background and Aims:</b> Hepatokines have a regulatory function in adipose tissue inflammation, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), cardiovascular diseases, and atherosclerosis. Our aim was to evaluate the profile of proinflammatory cytokines and hepatokines in patients with MASLD and carotid atherosclerosis (CA). <b>Methods:</b> A prospective and basic research study was conducted on patients with MASLD. Clinical data were collected from a detailed medical history. Liver stiffness was measured using transient elastography, and carotid Doppler ultrasound was performed. Levels of basic biochemical parameters, systemic inflammation markers (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18), and hepatokines (FGF21, ANGPTL4, fetuin-A) were determined. The results were analyzed with SPSS v22.0 software. <b>Results:</b> Sixty-seven patients with MASLD were included, 72.1% were women, and the mean patient age was 53.9 + 11.3 years. Atherosclerosis was found in 11 patients (16.2%), and carotid intima–media thickness (CIMT) was altered in the right carotid of 13 patients (19.1%), in the left carotid of 19 (27.9%), and bilaterally in 7 (10.3%). Greater age (<i>p</i> = 0.001) and high blood pressure (<i>p</i> = 0.028) were correlated with atherosclerosis. There were no differences in systemic inflammation markers, and the hepatokines FGF21 and fetuin-A tended to increase in the presence of CIMT and CA alterations, regardless of fibrosis. <b>Conclusions:</b> In our population, patients with MASLD had a 16.6% prevalence of CA, and the risk increased with age and a history of high blood pressure. FGF21 tended to increase in patients with MASLD + atherosclerosis, and fetuin-A was correlated with CIMT alterations, suggesting that the combination of these markers could guide us to suspect early endothelial alterations in patients with MASLD.
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spelling doaj-art-9212eefd4b6249208b06218e4216fade2025-08-20T02:24:43ZengMDPI AGBiomedicines2227-90592025-04-0113497810.3390/biomedicines13040978Hepatokine and Proinflammatory Cytokine Profile in Patients with Carotid Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver DiseaseAna Delfina Cano-Contreras0Maria del Rocio Francisco1Jose Luis Vargas-Basurto2Kevin David González-Gómez3Hector Vivanco-Cid4Karina Guadalupe Hernández-Flores5Peter Grube-Pagola6Federico Bernardo Roesch-Dietlen7Jose Maria Remes-Troche8Instituto de Investigaciones Médico-Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana. C. Agustín de Iturbide, Col. Ricardo Flores Magón, Veracruz 91700, MexicoInstituto de Investigaciones Médico-Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana. C. Agustín de Iturbide, Col. Ricardo Flores Magón, Veracruz 91700, MexicoInstituto de Investigaciones Médico-Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana. C. Agustín de Iturbide, Col. Ricardo Flores Magón, Veracruz 91700, MexicoInstituto de Investigaciones Médico-Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana. C. Agustín de Iturbide, Col. Ricardo Flores Magón, Veracruz 91700, MexicoInstituto de Investigaciones Médico-Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana. C. Agustín de Iturbide, Col. Ricardo Flores Magón, Veracruz 91700, MexicoInstituto de Investigaciones Médico-Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana. C. Agustín de Iturbide, Col. Ricardo Flores Magón, Veracruz 91700, MexicoInstituto de Investigaciones Médico-Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana. C. Agustín de Iturbide, Col. Ricardo Flores Magón, Veracruz 91700, MexicoInstituto de Investigaciones Médico-Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana. C. Agustín de Iturbide, Col. Ricardo Flores Magón, Veracruz 91700, MexicoInstituto de Investigaciones Médico-Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana. C. Agustín de Iturbide, Col. Ricardo Flores Magón, Veracruz 91700, Mexico<b>Background and Aims:</b> Hepatokines have a regulatory function in adipose tissue inflammation, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), cardiovascular diseases, and atherosclerosis. Our aim was to evaluate the profile of proinflammatory cytokines and hepatokines in patients with MASLD and carotid atherosclerosis (CA). <b>Methods:</b> A prospective and basic research study was conducted on patients with MASLD. Clinical data were collected from a detailed medical history. Liver stiffness was measured using transient elastography, and carotid Doppler ultrasound was performed. Levels of basic biochemical parameters, systemic inflammation markers (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18), and hepatokines (FGF21, ANGPTL4, fetuin-A) were determined. The results were analyzed with SPSS v22.0 software. <b>Results:</b> Sixty-seven patients with MASLD were included, 72.1% were women, and the mean patient age was 53.9 + 11.3 years. Atherosclerosis was found in 11 patients (16.2%), and carotid intima–media thickness (CIMT) was altered in the right carotid of 13 patients (19.1%), in the left carotid of 19 (27.9%), and bilaterally in 7 (10.3%). Greater age (<i>p</i> = 0.001) and high blood pressure (<i>p</i> = 0.028) were correlated with atherosclerosis. There were no differences in systemic inflammation markers, and the hepatokines FGF21 and fetuin-A tended to increase in the presence of CIMT and CA alterations, regardless of fibrosis. <b>Conclusions:</b> In our population, patients with MASLD had a 16.6% prevalence of CA, and the risk increased with age and a history of high blood pressure. FGF21 tended to increase in patients with MASLD + atherosclerosis, and fetuin-A was correlated with CIMT alterations, suggesting that the combination of these markers could guide us to suspect early endothelial alterations in patients with MASLD.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/4/978fatty liveratherosclerosishepatokinesinflammation
spellingShingle Ana Delfina Cano-Contreras
Maria del Rocio Francisco
Jose Luis Vargas-Basurto
Kevin David González-Gómez
Hector Vivanco-Cid
Karina Guadalupe Hernández-Flores
Peter Grube-Pagola
Federico Bernardo Roesch-Dietlen
Jose Maria Remes-Troche
Hepatokine and Proinflammatory Cytokine Profile in Patients with Carotid Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease
Biomedicines
fatty liver
atherosclerosis
hepatokines
inflammation
title Hepatokine and Proinflammatory Cytokine Profile in Patients with Carotid Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease
title_full Hepatokine and Proinflammatory Cytokine Profile in Patients with Carotid Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease
title_fullStr Hepatokine and Proinflammatory Cytokine Profile in Patients with Carotid Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease
title_full_unstemmed Hepatokine and Proinflammatory Cytokine Profile in Patients with Carotid Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease
title_short Hepatokine and Proinflammatory Cytokine Profile in Patients with Carotid Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease
title_sort hepatokine and proinflammatory cytokine profile in patients with carotid atherosclerosis and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease
topic fatty liver
atherosclerosis
hepatokines
inflammation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/4/978
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