| Description: |
Introduction: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a common cause of chronic liver disease. Patients suffering from psoriasis are at an increased risk of developing MASLD. Psoriasis and MASLD share a pro-inflammatory cytokine milieu; however, it is still unclear whether these conditions are related through shared metainflammatory processes or shared comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. The aim of our study was to better characterize the anthropometric and metabolic profile of psoriatic patients with MASLD. Methods: We conducted a prospective, single-center, cross-sectional study between June 2014 and August 2017. Recruitment was restricted to adult patients with psoriasis. Blood analysis, liver ultrasonography, and a FibroScan were performed. Blood investigations, baseline anthropometric measurements, and components of fatty liver disease (hepatic ultrasound, FibroScan) were assessed. Results: A total of 100 patients were recruited, of which, 43% (65.1% men, n = 28) were diagnosed with MASLD. The mean BMI was significantly higher in MASLD than in non-MASLD (27.7 kg/m2 vs. 30.1 kg/m2, p =< 0.001). The mean waist circumference in MASLD patients was significantly higher than in non-MASLD patients (105.6 cm vs. 97.2 cm, p = 0.005). There was no significant difference between the mean age of both patient groups (50.4 vs. 47.3 years, p = 0.26). Psoriatic arthritis was more prevalent in MASLD than in the non-MASLD group (14.3% vs. 1.8%, p = 0.004). Biochemical analysis revealed significantly higher C-peptide level in patients with MASLD compared with patients without MASLD (2.5 vs. 1.6 ng/mL, p = 0.036). Moreover, MASLD patients were found to have a lower HDL level and higher glycemia, triglyceridemia, cholesterol, and LDL levels than non-MASLD patients. A total of 16.3% of patients with MASLD had fibrosis stage ranging from F2 to F4 based on liver stiffness measurement compared with only 10.6% of patients without MASLD. Discussion: We ... |