Serum adropin is unaltered in adolescents with histology-confirmed steatotic liver disease

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in adolescents is increasing. Adropin is a liver-derived peptide involved in glucose and lipid homeostasis that was shown to be reduced in adults with metabolic disorders and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Serum adropin may also be higher in young men than women. A prior study reported that serum adropin was reduced in adolescents with MASLD, but the relationship between liver histology and CVD risk factors was not reported. We tested the hypotheses that adropin is (1) reduced in adolescents with MASLD compared to adolescents with obesity (Ob) or normal weight (NW) without MASLD, (2) correlated with blood pressure (BP), arterial stiffness, and liver histopathology, and (3) higher in boys than girls.

Serum adropin was measured in 47 patients with MASLD, and 27 and 29 control participants with Ob or NW, respectively.

Adropin was not reduced but was instead 5% and 20% higher (p > 0.42) in the MASLD compared to the Ob and NW groups, respectively. Adropin concentration was not correlated with arterial stiffness or BP. Adropin was 20% higher in boys than girls in the entire study cohort (p = 0.034). This difference was evident in the Ob group (p = 0.018), but not in the NW (p = 0.537) or the MASLD (p = 0.893) groups. Adropin was positively correlated with age within the MASLD group only (r = 0.46, p < 0.001).

Serum adropin was not reduced in adolescents with Ob or MASLD as reported previously. The positive relationship between age and adropin in adolescents with MASLD requires further examination.