Low circulating chemerin levels correlate with hepatic dysfunction and increased mortality in decompensated liver cirrhosis

Nutritional status, infections, inflammation and extrahepatic organ dysfunction are critical factors for the progression of chronic liver disease. Chemerin is an immune-metabolically and chemotactically active adipokine and we hypothesized that it is associated with disease severity and prognosis in patients with advanced decompensated cirrhosis. Therefore, we measured serum concentrations of chemerin in a prospectively characterized cohort of 80 patients with decompensated cirrhosis and ascites and assessed the associations with markers of disease severity and short-term outcome at 28 days. In a subset of patients (n = 40), ascitic fluid chemerin was determined. Advanced liver disease was associated with decreased serum but not ascitic chemerin levels. Serum chemerin correlated with markers of hepatic function (total bilirubin, albumin, INR) and inversely correlated with indicators of portal hypertension (platelet count, gastrointestinal bleeding) but not with extrahepatic organ failure and systemic inflammation. Patients presenting with acute-on-chronic liver failure or infection did not exhibit altered serum or ascitic fluid chemerin concentrations. However, serum chemerin levels below 87 ng/ml predicted an increased risk for mortality or liver transplantation within 28 days independently of MELD and infections. We conclude that low serum chemerin is an independent adverse prognostic factor in patients with advanced decompensated cirrhosis.