We recently published a paper from our metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD; previously called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD) imaging method study (AM-02), underlining the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in MASLD. Additional analysis from this study has now been published, looking at associations between liver fatty acids and biopsy-proven fibrosis.
Association between plasma and hepatic fatty acids and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH; previously called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH) prevalence has previously been studied. This paper reports important data on the link of hepatic fatty acids to biopsy-proven fibrosis. Results show that several hepatic fatty acids in the triacylglycerol and phospholipid classes were associated with liver fibrosis. In particular, higher levels of triacylglycerol 18:1n-9 were linked to lower fibrosis in both liver and plasma.
Today, liver biopsy is used for MASLD patient stratification, diagnosis and assessment of treatment response, but is limited both by time, patient risk and sampling bias. The search for new and better biomarkers is an area of intense research. Combination of different biomarkers, both established and new, might add further value. The AM-02 study supports the research in this field by investigating various biomarkers, including imaging, and their combination in a biopsy-proven MASLD population.
The AM-02 study has been performed as a collaboration between Uppsala University, Boehringer Ingelheim and Antaros Medical.
Find publications from the AM-02 study here:
Title: Hepatic Unsaturated Fatty Acids Are Linked to Lower Degree of Fibrosis in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Fridén M, Rosqvist F, Ahlström H, Niessen HG, Schultheis C, Hockings P, Hulthe J, Gummesson A, Wanders A, Rorsman F, Risérus U and Vessby J
Title: The Combination of MR Elastography and Proton Density Fat Fraction Improves Diagnosis of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
Authors: Alsaqal S, Hockings P, Ahlström H, Gummesson A, Hedström A, Hulthe J, Johansson L, Niessen H G, Schoelch C, Schultheis C, Vessby J, Wanders A, Rorsman F, Ebeling Barbier C