Abstract / Summary
Background: To explore the relationships between serum Sterol Sulfotransferase, Recombinant Angiopoietin Like Protein 8 (ANGPTL8), and Recombinant Syndecan (SDC1) and liver function in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), as well as their influence on perinatal outcomes.
Methods: The control group comprised 200 healthy pregnant women who underwent physical examinations during the same period, while the study group comprised 210 ICP patients admitted to our hospital between June 2023 and December 2024. The study group's and the control group's serum Sterol Sulfotransferase, ANGPTL8, SDC1, and liver function markers were compared. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the relationships between serum levels of Sterol Sulfotransferase, ANGPTL8, and SDC1 and various liver function indicators. The patients in the study group were divided into a poor-outcome group (86 patients) and a good-outcome group (124 patients) based on perinatal outcomes. Serum Sterol Sulfotransferase, ANGPTL8, and SDC1 levels were examined between the groups with negative and positive outcomes. Factors predicting unfavourable perinatal outcomes in patients with ICPs were examined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.
Results: Despite lower serum Sterol Sulfotransferase levels, the study group had higher levels of ANGPTL8 and SDC1 than the control group. P < 0 .0 5 indicated that the differences were statistically significant. The study group's levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.05). The Pearson correlation analysis showed that while the levels of ANGPTL8 and SDC1 were positively associated with AST, ALT, and ALP (P< 0.05), the level of serum Sterol Sulfotransferase was negatively associated with these levels. Compared to the group that experienced a positive outcome, the unfavourable outcome group's serum Sterol Sulfotransferase level was lower, whereas SDC1 and ANGPTL8 levels were greater than those in the group with favourable results. Decreased serum Sterol Sulfotransferase levels (S23 mmol/L), increased ANGPTL8 levels (650 pg/mL), and poor perinatal outcomes were associated with elevated SDC1 levels (53 ng/mL) in patients with ICP (P<0.05).
Conclusions: Serum Sterol Sulfotransferase, ANGPTL8 and SDC1 are closely related to liver function and perinatal outcomes in patients with ICP. As the level of serum Sterol Sulfotransferase decreases and the levels of ANGPTL8 and SDC1 increase, it can lead to aggravated liver function impairment in patients with ICP, and it leads to adverse perinatal outcomes.