Apelin: A new biomarker in fatty liver disease

Apelin is a peptide known for its insulin-sensitizing effect. This study aimed to examine the relationship between apelin and fatty liver disease. Non-diabetic patients were evaluated by ultrasound in this prospective, single-center, case-control study between 1 April 2020 and 1 April 2021. Serum apelin levels were measured, and the relationship with ultrasonography results and degree of hepatosteatosis was examined. Statistical analysis was carried out using NCSS 2007. This study was conducted with 80 non-diabetic participants, 53 females and 27 males. The mean age of the cases was 40.55 ± 13.82 (interquartile range = 27–51) years, and their mean body mass index (BMI) was 29.34 ± 7.44 (interquartile range = 23.4–35.2) kg/m2. There was no hepatosteatosis according to ultrasound in 42% (n = 34) of the cases. When patients with or without hepatosteatosis were compared, there was no difference in terms of gender, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and hemoglobin levels, whereas fasting blood glucose (FBG), HOMA-IR, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, BMI, creatinine, and age were higher in the group with hepatosteatosis. Apelin was found to be lower in patients with non-diabetic hepatosteatosis than in those without hepatosteatosis (p = .001). As the degree of fatty liver increased, the apelin level decreased further. There was also a negative correlation between apelin and age. However, the relationship between apelin and hepatosteatosis was independent of age. In non-diabetic patients with fatty liver disease, compared to those without fatty liver disease, serum apelin level was lower and was negatively correlated with the degree of steatosis, independent of age.