Peschel G, Weigand K, Grimm J, Müller M, Buechler C. Serum omentin-1 is correlated with the severity of liver disease in patients with chronic hepatitis C. World J Hepatol 2023; 15(12): 1315-1324 [PMID: 38223417 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v15.i12.1315]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Christa Buechler, PhD, Senior Researcher, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss Allee 11, Regensburg 93053, Germany. christa.buechler@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
Research Domain of This Article
Virology
Article-Type of This Article
Observational Study
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Hepatol. Dec 27, 2023; 15(12): 1315-1324 Published online Dec 27, 2023. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v15.i12.1315
Serum omentin-1 is correlated with the severity of liver disease in patients with chronic hepatitis C
Georg Peschel, Kilian Weigand, Jonathan Grimm, Martina Müller, Christa Buechler
Georg Peschel, Kilian Weigand, Jonathan Grimm, Martina Müller, Christa Buechler, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg 93053, Germany
Georg Peschel, Department of Internal Medicine, Klinikum Fürstenfeldbruck, Fürstenfeldbruck 82256, Germany
Kilian Weigand, Department of Gastroenterology, Gemeinschaftsklinikum Mittelrhein, Koblenz 56073, Germany
Author contributions: Peschel G, Weigand K and Buechler C were the guarantors and designed the study; Peschel G, Weigand K and Grimm J participated in the acquisition of the serum samples; Buechler C participated in the analysis, and interpretation of the data, and drafted the initial manuscript; Peschel G, Weigand K, Grimm J, Müller M and Buechler C revised the article critically for important intellectual content.
Institutional review board statement: The study protocol was approved by the ethical committee of the University Hospital of Regensburg (14-101-0049, date of approval: May 22, 2014).
Informed consent statement: All study participants provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: There are no conflicts of interest to report.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement—checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement—checklist of items.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Christa Buechler, PhD, Senior Researcher, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss Allee 11, Regensburg 93053, Germany. christa.buechler@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
Received: September 20, 2023 Peer-review started: September 20, 2023 First decision: October 25, 2023 Revised: November 3, 2023 Accepted: November 21, 2023 Article in press: November 21, 2023 Published online: December 27, 2023 Processing time: 95 Days and 20 Hours
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can cause severe liver damage. Chronic HCV infection can be cured with direct acting antiviral therapy, which also decreases insulin resistance. Omentin-1 is regarded a beneficial adipokine and improves insulin resistance. Serum omentin-1 levels are increased in HCV infection. The effect of viral cure on serum omentin-1 levels has not been analysed as far as we know. Moreover, data regarding associations of omentin-1 with liver injury are discordant.
Research motivation
From a pathophysiological standpoint, it can be important to evaluate associations of serum omentin-1 levels with HCV infection and liver disease severity.
Research objectives
The objective of this study was to assess the effect of HCV clearance on serum omentin-1 levels, and to evaluate associations of serum omentin-1 levels with clinical markers of inflammation, liver steatosis, diabetes and liver dysfunction.
Research methods
This observational study included 84 patients with chronic HCV, and collected serum before therapy, at 4 wk after therapy start, at therapy end and at sustained viological response 12 (SVR12). Serum omentin-1 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum omentin-1 levels of 14 controls were also determined.
Research results
The study found evidence of increased serum omentin-1 levels in patients with liver cirrhosis. HCV elimination did not change serum omentin-1 levels, suggesting that viral infection has no effect on serum omentin-1.
Research conclusions
Effective elimination of HCV is associated with favourable metabolic outcomes. This study indicates that omentin-1 has no role herein. Serum omentin-1 of HCV patients with liver cirrhosis is increased at baseline and SVR12, and may have a role in liver cirrhosis pathogenesis.
Research perspectives
Evaluation whether increased serum omentin-1 is just a marker of impaired liver function or contributes to liver damage.
