Kallistatin and Glypican-3 as Reliable Biomarkers for the Prediction of Liver Cirrhosis

Background: Cirrhosis is a condition in which the liver does not function properly due to long-term damage, this damage is characterized by the replacement of normal liver tissue by scar tissue. Objective: In the present study, an attempt was made to explore the role of kallistatin (KAL) and glypican3 (GPC3) as a predictor of liver cirrhosis (LC) in patients with hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty acid and autoimmune diseases. Materials and Methods: This case–control study included 98 cirrhotic patients (34 patients with hepatitis B & A, 31 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and 33 patients with autoimmune) and 30 apparently healthy individuals. The laboratory investigations were performed, and the serum KAL and GPC3 were measured in all volunteers. Results: Serum levels of KAL, GPC3, and TAC were significantly decreased and MDA increased (p<0.01) in patients with LC as compared to control. The significant difference can also be indicatly seen in patients with hepatitis > non-alcoholic fatty acid > autoimmune diseases, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) results obtained indicate that Kal and GPC3 could potentially be used as greater predictive biomarkers in LC with hepatitis ˃ NAFLD ˃ autoimmune diseases (Kal: AUC= -0.97, -0.91, -0.88; Gyp3: AUC= 0.89, 0.84, 0.79, respectively). Conclusion: Incorporating KAL and GPC3 screening into routine check-ups for patients with hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver, and autoimmune diseases could aid in the early detection and prevention of LC-associated complications.