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. 2024 Mar 16;16(6):866.
doi: 10.3390/nu16060866.

Exploring the Role of Serum Osteonectin and Hsp27 in Pediatric MAFLD Diagnosis and Cardiometabolic Health

Anca Bălănescu  1 , Paul-Cristian Bălănescu  1   2 , Ioana Florentina Codreanu  1   3 , Iustina-Violeta Stan  1   3 , Valentina-Daniela Comanici  1   3 , Alina Maria Robu  1   3 , Tatiana Ciomârtan  1   3
Affiliations

Exploring the Role of Serum Osteonectin and Hsp27 in Pediatric MAFLD Diagnosis and Cardiometabolic Health

Anca Bălănescu et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: Childhood obesity is one of the major challenges of public health policies. The problem of fatty liver in childhood, known as MAFLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease), is of particular interest as the gold standard diagnosis technique is invasive (liver biopsy). Hence, efforts are made to discover more specific biomarkers for the MAFLD signature. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate Osteonectin and Hsp27 as biomarkers for MAFLD diagnosis and to assess their links with auxological and biochemical profiles of overweight and obese pediatric subjects.

Methods: A cross-sectional study in which we (re)analyzed data from the MR PONy cohort comprising 71 pediatric subjects. Auxological data, liver ultrasonography and biochemical serum profile were recorded. Lipid-derived indices and body composition indices were calculated. Nevertheless, serum Osteonectin and Hsp27 levels were assessed using an ELISA approach.

Results: MAFLD prevalence was 40.8%. Higher Osteonectin levels were noted in MAFLD subjects versus non-MAFLD subjects and in dyslipidemic children regardless of their liver function status. Lipid-derived indices had good diagnostic capacity for MAFLD.

Conclusions: We confirm Osteonectin as a MAFLD diagnosis biomarker in children. Also, lipid-derived indices are useful as metabolic-associated organ impairment markers in children even before the onset of obesity.

Keywords: AIP; BMI; Hsp27; MAFLD; TG/HDL; TMI; VAI; cardiometabolic risk indices; childhood obesity; lipid-derived indices; osteonectin.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Serum Osteonectin (SPARC) levels in non-MAFLD compared to MAFLD overweight and obese children. Differences are statistically significant, with p = 0.003 (Mann–Whitney U test). *—outliers.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Serum Hsp27 levels in non-MAFLD compared to MAFLD overweight and obese children Differences are not statistically significant, with p = 0.52 (Mann–Whitney U test). *—outliers.
Figure 3
Figure 3
ROC curves of TMI and BMI for MAFLD diagnosis.
Figure 4
Figure 4
ROC curves of serum SPARC, TG/HDL ratio, AIP and VAI for MAFLD diagnosis in overweight and obese children. AUROC for serum SPARC being 0.72 with a 95% CI (0.59–0.84), AUROC for the TG/HDL ratio being 0.77 with a 95% CI (0.65–0.89), AUROC for VAI being 0.77 with a 95% CI (0.65–0.89), AUROC for AIP being 0.77 with a 95% CI (0.65–0.89).
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