AUTHOR=Kolben Yotam , Kenig Ariel , Kessler Asa , Ishay Yuval , Weksler-Zangen Sarah , Eisa Mualem , Ilan Yaron 

TITLE=Serum Levels of Adropin Improve the Predictability of MELD and Child-Pugh Score in Cirrhosis: Results of Proof-of-Concept Clinical Trial

JOURNAL=Transplant International

VOLUME=36

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/journals/transplant-international/articles/10.3389/ti.2023.11176

DOI=10.3389/ti.2023.11176

ISSN=1432-2277

ABSTRACT=<p>Adropin is a peptide that was suggested to have a role in cirrhosis. The present study aimed to determine the ability to use serum adropin levels to improve their prediction accuracy as an adjunct to the current scores. In a single-center, proof-of-concept study, serum adropin levels were determined in thirty-three cirrhotic patients. The data were analyzed in correlation with Child-Pugh and MELD-Na scores, laboratory parameters, and mortality. Adropin levels were higher among cirrhotic patients that died within 180 days (1,325.7 ng/dL vs. 870.3 ng/dL, <italic>p</italic> = 0.024) and inversely correlated to the time until death (<italic>r</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.74). The correlation of adropin serum levels with mortality was better than MELD or Child-Pough scores (<italic>r</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.32 and 0.38, respectively). Higher adropin levels correlated with creatinine (<italic>r</italic><sup>2</sup> = 0.79. <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01). Patients with diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases had elevated adropin levels. Integrating adropin levels with the Child-Pugh and MELD scores improved their correlation with the time of death (correlation coefficient: 0.91 vs. 0.38 and 0.67 vs. 0.32). The data of this feasibility study suggest that combining serum adropin with the Child-Pugh score and MELD-Na score improves the prediction of mortality in cirrhosis and can serve as a measure for assessing kidney dysfunction in these patients</p>