IDIVAL Advances in One-Step Diagnosis for Determining MASH and Liver Fibrosis in High-Risk Populations
The United European Gastroenterology Journal has just published an innovative study in the field of hepatology. The research, conducted by the Clinical and Translational Research Groupin Digestive Diesases at IDIVAL, led by Dr. Paula Iruzubieta and Dr. Javier Crespo, in collaboration with researchers and scientists from seven Spanish hospitals and the scientific team at OWL Metabolomics, presents a one-step diagnostic study using the non-invasive OWLiver test for determining metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and liver fibrosis in high-risk populations.
The research focused on evaluating the OWLiver test as a tool for one-step diagnosis of MASH and liver fibrosis in patients at higher risk of developing MASH, such as those over 50 years old, diabetics, and individuals with overweight or obesity. The test correctly classified 86.1% of patients with MASH, demonstrating performance metrics in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 0.77, 0.86, 0.35, 0.85, and 0.36, respectively. The OWLiver panel correctly classified 86.1%, 78.8%, and 90.7% of patients with MASH, high-risk MASH (MASH + Fibrosis ≥ 2), and advanced fibrosis, respectively.
Advantages of Using the OWLiver Panel
The study also highlights the advantages of using the OWLiver panel compared to other non-invasive methods for determining significant and advanced fibrosis. Besides being a blood-based test, which offers greater accessibility than imaging-based tests, the inclusion of the MASEF score test in the algorithm translates into a significantly superior performance for diagnosing high-risk MASH compared to other non-invasive tests like the FAST score. Additionally, the combination of various non-invasive tests such as FIB-4, NFS, VCTE, and FAST for determining significant and advanced fibrosis did not provide additional benefits over the individual use of the MASEF score.
Another advantage of using the panel is that, thanks to the second algorithm, OWLiver DM2, it is possible to discriminate between simple steatosis and MASH using the same blood sample. In the study, the panel showed good sensitivity (86.1%) and a good positive predictive value (85%) for diagnosing MASH. Only 13.9% of the study patients with MASH were classified as simple steatosis.
Dr. Javier Crespo highlights that “the OWLiver panel could be very beneficial in populations at high risk of MASLD, from primary care and endocrinology, as it would reduce the need for additional diagnostic tests, thus improving care for this prevalent liver disease.”
Significant Contributions to the Field of Hepatological Research
The study authors, including IDIVAL researcher Dr. María Teresa Arias-Loste, Luis Ibáñez-Samaniego, Javier Ampuero, Javier Abad, Rosa Martín-Mateos, Ana Belén Fernández-Laso, Agustín Albillos, Rafael Bañares, José Luis Calleja, Manuel Romero-Gómez, and Rocío Aller, have made significant contributions to advancing knowledge in this critical research field.
References:
Iruzubieta P, Mayo R, Mincholé I, Martínez-Arranz I, Arias-Loste MT, Ibáñez-Samaniego L, et al. One-step non-invasive diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and fibrosis in high-risk population. United European Gastroenterol J. 2024; 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/ueg2.12589
