Association of serum asprosin with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in older adult type 2 diabetic patients: a cross-sectional study

Background: To explore the association of serum asprosin levels with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: The cross-sectional study enrolled patients ≥ 65 years old diagnosed with T2DM at two community health service centers between November 2019 and July 2021. Logistic regression was applied to analyze the influencing factors of MAFLD.

Results: Totally 219 cases were included. Compared with diabetic individuals without MAFLD (n = 105), diabetics with MAFLD (n = 114) had younger ages, higher body mass index values, shorter time from T2DM diagnosis, increased waist-to-hip ratios, elevated triglycerides, reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT), elevated γ-glutaryl transferase, elevated fasting insulin, and elevated HOMA-IR (all P < 0.05). Serum asprosin levels were elevated in diabetics with MAFLD in comparison with the non-MAFLD group (291.71 ± 73.69 vs. 255.24 ± 82.52 pg/ml, P = 0.001). Multivariable analysis revealed, after adjusted for age, time from T2DM diagnosis, HDL-C, and ALT, serum asprosin level (OR = 1.006, 95%CI: 1.001-1.010, P = 0.014) were independently associated with MAFLD in T2DM.

Conclusions: High asprosin level are associated with MAFLD in older patients with T2DM, after adjusted for age, time from T2DM diagnosis, WHR, TG, HDL-C, ALT, GGT, FINS, and HOMA-IR.