Serum Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer as a biomarker for metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease

Abstract

Background Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now recently termed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is the most rapidly increasing global contributor to the burden of complications in chronic liver disease (CLD) patients such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Serum Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) was found to have a role in the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is recently gaining research interest as regards the detection of liver fibrosis in small, limited Japanese and Korean studies. This study aimed to evaluate the possible diagnostic value of M2BPGi in Egyptian patients with MASLD.

Patients and methods This case–control study was conducted on 80 Egyptian subjects between the ages of 18 and 70 years and divided into two groups; group 1 included 60 Egyptian patients diagnosed with MASLD (30% males; 70% females), and group 2 included 20 Egyptian healthy controls (50% males; 50% females). Serum M2BPGi was measured in all study subjects and compared to standard non-invasive diagnostic scores of MASLD.

Results In this study, M2BpGi levels were significantly higher in patients than in the control group (p < 0.001), suggesting a possible role of M2BPGi as a diagnostic marker of MASLD. Moreover, the present study showed that M2BPGi was significantly positively correlated with waist circumference (WC), fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels, fatty liver index (FLI), aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis-4 index (Fib-4) and MASLD fibrosis score (MFS), further elucidating the possible use of M2BPGI as a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker in MASLD.

Conclusion This study suggests that M2BPGi represents a potential diagnostic and prognostic test in MASLD patients, as well as a possible role in identifying the degree of liver fibrosis.