Experts Develop Blood Test For Liver Inflammation In Obese Patients
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a disease that affects more and more patients. Fats accumulate in the liver, often due to an unhealthy lifestyle. Usually there are few complaints, but in the long term the fatty degeneration can lead to liver inflammation or liver cirrhosis. Researchers from KU Leuven and Newcastle University have now discovered a way to detect the disease earlier via a blood test, so that more serious stages with irreversible liver damage are not reached. The results just appeared in Nature Metabolism .
In 2022, the World Health Organization reported that almost 60% of the adult European population and almost 1 in 3 children are overweight or obese. Too little exercise and unhealthy eating habits are often the cause. Obesity, on the other hand, is associated with numerous other conditions: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, but also non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD: Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease). Currently, about 25%-30% of the world’s population suffers from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This is a chronic disease that can lead to inflammation of the liver (NASH: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis), and even cirrhosis of the liver that requires a transplant. Despite our growing knowledge of the course of the disease, we are still unable to properly monitor the course of the disease in patients.
Alternative to expensive biopsy
The liver inflammation often goes unnoticed for a long time, because a correct diagnosis can only be made by means of a needle biopsy (in which a piece of liver tissue is removed). This procedure is very invasive and expensive. Often, at the time of such a biopsy, the disease has already progressed to such an extent that there is irreversible damage to the liver. Researchers from KU Leuven and Newcastle University have now laid the foundations for a new method in which the disease can be detected and monitored at an early stage via a blood test.
New diagnostic model
As part of the European LITMUS consortium, coordinated by Professor Quentin Anstee (University of Newcastle), the researchers analyzed blood and liver samples from more than 300 patients with NAFLD. They discovered specific proteins that indicate inflammation of the liver and were able to paint a detailed picture of the evolution of the disease. This led to a new diagnostic model that can predict liver damage, the degree of inflammation and the degree of scar tissue.
Early detection and treatment
Professor Olivier Govaere (KU Leuven/Newcastle University): “This model is an important step for the early detection and treatment of patients at risk. We now know which proteins we need to check in the blood to get a good idea of the stage of the disease. This makes the diagnosis cheaper and more accessible. The sooner we can give patients a correct diagnosis, the sooner we can also start correct treatment and avoid irreversible liver damage.”