A recent study evaluated the risk factors associated with liver fibrosis in metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).

This cross-sectional study of 967 Korean patients with MAFLD involved a cohort from a health screening program from 2015-2018. It classified the patients into 4 MAFLD subgroups: group 1 (overweight). group 2 (obese), group 3 (lean/normal weight with metabolic abnormalities), and group 4 (diabetes).

The study assessed Liver fibrosis based on liver stiffness measurement (LSM) value using 2-dimensional real-time magnetic resonance elastography. It investigated differences in liver fibrosis according to MAFLD subgroup classification and determined the risk factors for significant fibrosis.

The study highlighted the following observations-

• The mean age of the patients was 50.8 years
• 90% of the patients were male. 
• The mean value of LSM in magnetic resonance elastography was 2.48 ± 0.47 kPa. 
• 6.8% of the patients had significant fibrosis (LSM ≥2.97 kPa). 
• The proportion of significant fibrosis in MAFLD 

o    group 1 was 1.3%, 

o    group 2 was 5.5%, 

o    group 3 was 6.4%, 

o    group 4 was 18.9%. 

• The risk factors for significant fibrosis were serum ferritin ≥300 ng/mL, Fibrosis-4 ≥1.3, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance ≥2.0, metabolic syndrome, and MAFLD group 4. 
• The etiology of liver disease showed no association with liver fibrosis.

Thus, this study highlights that Liver fibrosis in patients with MAFLD alters according to subgroup classification founded on diabetes, body mass index, and metabolic risk factors.

Sohn W, Kwon HJ, Chang Y, Ryu S, Cho YK. Liver Fibrosis in Asians With Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022 May;20(5):e1135-e1148. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2021.06.042. Epub 2021 Jul 3. PMID: 34224877.