Rachana Raveendran, Anthony Josephine, Varalakshmi Sureka, Periandavan Kalaiselvi, Poornima Raja Raja Varma, Lasitha Neroth Kandy, Renjith Kariyil Radhakrishnan Nair, Manjusha Kottola, Midhun Thazhissery Mohanan, Swathi Thoduvayil, Thahira Abdulla, Pinchulatha Kottiyath, Dinesh Roy Divakaran
oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with reduced ADIPOQ expression in young adults at risk of NAFLD and CVD. While ADIPOQ alone may have limited predictive power, early identification of oxidative and inflammatory markers could aid in timely intervention.
INTRODUCTION: non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are increasingly seen in young adults due to obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet. Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation are key contributors to their development, promoting liver damage, endothelial dysfunction, and atherosclerosis. Adiponectin, encoded by the ADIPOQ gene, has protective metabolic effects, and its reduction, often influenced by genetic factors, is linked to increased disease risk. This study evaluates the relationship between oxidative stress (MDA), inflammation (IL-6), and ADIPOQ gene expression in young adults to identify early biomarkers.
METHODS: this case-control study (2022 December-2024 December) included 300 participants aged 18-45 years with clinically established non-alcoholic fatty liver and/or cardiovascular risk disease, who were categorized as the case group. The remaining 150 healthy individuals served as the control group. MDA and IL-6 levels were measured using ELISA, while ADIPOQ expression was analyzed via reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Data were analyzed using t-tests, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and quantile regression in Stata 17.0, with significance set at p<0.05.
RESULTS: cases showed elevated MDA and IL-6 levels and reduced ADIPOQ expression compared to controls. ROC analysis identified MDA as the strongest biomarker (AUC = 0.9605). IL-6 showed diagnostic potential but lost significance after adjustment for sociodemographic variables. MDA and IL-6 levels negatively correlated with ADIPOQ expression.
CONCLUSION: oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with reduced ADIPOQ expression in young adults at risk of NAFLD and CVD. While ADIPOQ alone may have limited predictive power, early identification of oxidative and inflammatory markers could aid in timely intervention.