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Diagnostics
Special Issues
Clinical Diagnosis and Prognosis of Steatotic Liver Disease
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Clinical Diagnosis and Prognosis of Steatotic Liver Disease

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Diagnosis and Prognosis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1662

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Helma Pinchemel Cotrim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil
Interests: steatotic liver disease; hepatocellular carcinoma; hepatotoxicity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Steatotic liver disease (SLD) has emerged as the novel nomenclature for NAFLD, defined by “A multi-society Delphi consensus statement on new fatty liver disease nomenclature". It includes sub-classifications, such as metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD); alcohol-related SLD (SLD-ALD); specific-etiology SLD (DILI; monogenetic diseases, miscellaneous); and cryptogenic SLD: unknown causes.

SLD, considered the most prevalent liver disease today, has enhanced our knowledge of all aspects of the disease, including its epidemiology, clinical profile, diagnosis, and treatment. Advances have also been achieved in precision medicine, which will soon be integrated into SLD clinical practice. However, unmet practical needs are still present in most clinical aspects of this liver disease.

In this Special Issue, clinical diagnostic and prognostic advances in SLD through original research articles, reviews, short communications, and interesting images are welcome.

We look forward to your collaboration.

Dr. Helma Pinchemel Cotrim
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • steatotic liver disease—SLD
  • steatohepatitis
  • steatosis
  • diagnosis
  • prognosis

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 251 KB  
Article
Serum LEAP-2 as a Potential Biomarker for Hepatic Steatosis in Adolescents with Obesity and MASLD: A Cross-Sectional Study
by Sevim Çakar, Nur Arslan, Mehmet Ateş, Oya Sayın, Oğuzhan Akyaz, Tuğçe Tatar Arık, Rabia Ilgın and Nilay Danış
Diagnostics 2025, 15(21), 2816; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15212816 - 6 Nov 2025
Viewed by 640
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is becoming more common among adolescents, but non-invasive biomarkers for early detection are still limited. Liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide-2 (LEAP-2), a ghrelin receptor antagonist, has been connected to obesity and liver fat buildup in adults, but pediatric [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is becoming more common among adolescents, but non-invasive biomarkers for early detection are still limited. Liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide-2 (LEAP-2), a ghrelin receptor antagonist, has been connected to obesity and liver fat buildup in adults, but pediatric data are limited. This study investigates the hypothesis that higher levels of LEAP-2 are associated with hepatic steatosis and the role of LEAP-2 serum levels in the earlier and easier diagnosis of MASLD in children. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 51 adolescents aged 12–18 were divided into three groups: one with MASLD and obesity (MASLD-Ob) (confirmed hepatosteatosis by imaging studies such as magnetic resonance or ultrasound, along with at least one cardiometabolic criterion and a body mass index (BMI) > 2 SD) (n = 19), another with obesity without any liver pathology or MASLD (BMI > 2 SD) (n = 14), and healthy controls (n = 18). The controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) was measured using FibroScan® Mini + 430 (Echosens SA, Créteil, France), and serum ghrelin and LEAP-2 levels were determined via ELISA. Correlations between LEAP-2, ghrelin, CAP, BMI z-score, and metabolic parameters were analyzed. Results: LEAP-2 and ghrelin levels among the three groups were similar (p = 0.148, p = 0.515). A positive correlation was observed between LEAP-2 levels and CAP values in the obese group (both the MASLD-Ob and obesity groups) (r = 0.379, p = 0.030). When a cutoff of 240 dB/m was used, the median LEAP-2 level in cases above this value was 2.20 ng/mL, compared to 1.37 ng/mL in cases below it (p = 0.021), which was significantly different. When analyzing the obese group (both the MASLD-Ob and obese groups) a statistically significant correlation was found between serum LEAP-2 levels and CAP, AST, GGT, and total bilirubin values (r = 0.379, p = 0.030; r = 0.369, p = 0.035; r = 0.369, p = 0.035; r = 0.357, p = 0.049, respectively). Conclusions: Interventional imaging methods and biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring hepatosteatosis have become well-established in the literature. However, since these tests are not available at all centers and can be costly, there is an increasing search for other easily accessible diagnostic and follow-up parameters. LEAP-2 could be a promising non-invasive biomarker for pediatric MASLD, especially when used alongside CAP measurements. The application of this biomarker in pediatric MASLD provides valuable data to help identify and monitor the condition in adolescents. We believe our study offers strong evidence to support further research and the development of drug treatments for MASLD that aim to reduce plasma LEAP-2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Diagnosis and Prognosis of Steatotic Liver Disease)
13 pages, 643 KB  
Article
Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Sarcopenia: Influence of Habitual Food
by Naiade S. Almeida, Raquel Rocha, Carla Daltro and Helma P. Cotrim
Diagnostics 2025, 15(21), 2711; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15212711 - 27 Oct 2025
Viewed by 742
Abstract
Background: Sarcopenia is a clinical condition linked to various liver diseases, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). MASLD includes a spectrum from steatosis to steatohepatitis, which may progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The influence of dietary habits and nutrient [...] Read more.
Background: Sarcopenia is a clinical condition linked to various liver diseases, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). MASLD includes a spectrum from steatosis to steatohepatitis, which may progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The influence of dietary habits and nutrient intake on MASLD and its progression is well-established. However, the association between dietary consumption and sarcopenia in MASLD patients remains underexplored. This study evaluated whether there is an association between sarcopenia and habitual food consumption in MASLD patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with outpatients diagnosed with MASLD. Sarcopenia was defined based on the 2019 EWGSOP2 criteria. Dietary intake was assessed using three 24 h recalls per patient, with intrapersonal variance corrected using the Multiple Source Method (MSM) software (Version 1.0.1). Steatosis was diagnosed via upper abdominal ultrasound, and the Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4) was used to assess hepatic fibrosis. Results: MASLD patients (n = 76) were evaluated. The mean age was 52.9 (SD, 12.0) years, and 75.0% were female. Two had sarcopenia, and 27.6% (n = 21) had probable sarcopenia (characterized by low muscle strength only). Among probable sarcopenia, F1-F2 were observed in 61.9%, and 23.8% had indeterminate FIB-4 grades. Calcium intake was lower among patients with probable sarcopenia than those no sarcopenia (p = 0.04). Conclusions: In these MASLD patients, only two patients were diagnosed with sarcopenia, and around a third had probable sarcopenia. The majority of MASLD patients with lower calcium, energy, and protein intake, but only lower calcium intake in those with probable sarcopenia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Diagnosis and Prognosis of Steatotic Liver Disease)
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