Serum kallistatin as a marker of severity of liver fibrosis in cirrhosis: A cross-sectional observational study.

Abstract

Liver cirrhosis is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although liver biopsy is the gold standard for the assessment of liver fibrosis in cirrhosis, it has its own limitations. Therefore, noninvasive methods to detect liver fibrosis are widely preferred. However, they also have their own limitations. Thus, there is always a need to extend the battery of serum-based assays. Kallistatin is a protein synthesized primarily in the liver. As it is a negative acute-phase protein, its blood level decreases with a decline in liver function. In our study, we explored the relationship between serum kallistatin and radiological evidence of liver fibrosis by transient elastography to determine if kallistatin levels can be used as a diagnostic marker of liver fibrosis. A cross-sectional study of 1-year duration was conducted at a leading tertiary care hospital in northern India. Patients between 15 and 75 years of age having evidence of chronic liver disease were enrolled. All enrolled patients were evaluated by detailed history, physical examination, and relevant investigations. Serum kallistatin levels were quantified using the ELISA method. Grading of liver fibrosis was done using transient elastography. A FibroScan scoring card was used to convert FibroScan results measured in kPa into the Metavir scale F1-F4. A total of 128 subjects, including 64 <i>patient</i>s with cirrhosis and 64 healthy controls, were enrolled. Our study suggested that FibroScan values were significantly higher in cases as compared to controls. The kallistatin level of cases was significantly lower than that of controls. An inverse correlation was found between FibroScan value and kallistatin level among cases. We conclude that serum kallistatin levels are low in patients with liver fibrosis and can be used as a potential marker of liver fibrosis.