Protein S (PROS): A Novel Prognostic Marker for Hepatic Dysfunction

Abstract

Background: Hepatic dysfunction happens when the liver does not create enough coagulation proteins which leads to a failure in hemostatic mechanisms. Protein S (PROS) serves as a prognostic biomarker with potential clinical value but its actual medical applications need further investigation.
Methods: A hospital-based observational research study was conducted with a sample size of 70 patients who had hepatic dysfunction. The researchers gathered demographic information and clinical details and biochemical data which included Total Protein S and Free Protein S and Protein S Activity. The research employed SPSS v27 for statistical analysis which included descriptive statistics and chi-square tests and independent t-tests and Pearson correlation to assess correlations with disease severity and 6-month survival rates.
Results: A total of 70 patients with hepatic dysfunction were enrolled. The mean age was 52.5 ± 12.97 years, and the mean MELD score was 17.43 ± 7.09, indicating moderate liver disease severity. Total Protein S demonstrated a significant negative correlation with the MELD score (r = −0.245, p = 0.041), suggesting lower Protein S levels with worsening hepatic dysfunction. Protein S Activity was significantly lower among patients with hepatic encephalopathy than those without encephalopathy (62.70 ± 18.39 vs. 74.16 ± 19.61; p = 0.015). The overall 6-month survival rate was 52.9%, with gender (p = 0.031) and underlying liver disease etiology (p = 0.035) showing significant associations with survival outcomes. No significant differences in Total Protein S, Free Protein S, or Protein S Activity were observed between patients with and without portal vein thrombosis (p > 0.05). Overall, the findings indicate that Protein S, particularly its functional activity, is associated with hepatic disease severity and may serve as a complementary prognostic biomarker in chronic liver disease.
Conclusion: The functional activity of Protein S functions as a newly discovered prognostic biomarker which shows high sensitivity for detecting hepatic dysfunction, thus serving as an additional diagnostic tool alongside existing clinical marker.