Evaluation of FGF-19 and β-klotho as biomarkers in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy

Introduction: Fibroblast growth factor-19 (FGF-19) and its co-receptor, beta-klotho, regulate bile acid synthesis in the liver as an enterohepatic feedback mechanism. In this study, our aim was to investigate the circulating FGF-19 and β-klotho levels in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) cases. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study including 40 women whose pregnancies were complicated with ICP were recruited for the study group. Forty randomly selected healthy pregnant women comprised the control group. The patient characteristics, including maternal age, gravidity, parity, gestational age at the time of diagnosis, body mass index (BMI), and obstetric history, were recorded. The serum FGF-19 and β-klotho concentrations were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Maternal age, gravidity, parity, body mass index at assessment, and gestational age at blood sampling were similar between the two groups (p > 0.05). Moreover, there were no significant differences in the FGF-19 and β-klotho concentrations between the two groups (p = 0.341 and p = 0.086, respectively). A positive correlation was detected between the β-klotho and FGF-19 levels, as well as between the FGF-19 level and BMI (r = 0.368, p = 0.020 and r = 0.389, p = 0.013, respectively). Conclusions: The serum FGF-19 and β-klotho concentrations did not differ between the pregnancies with ICP and the healthy controls. However, in some cases, abnormalities in the FGF-19, β-klotho, and FGFR4 signaling system may play roles in the pathogenesis of ICP.