Prospective validation of imaging and serum diagnostic biomarkers of steatohepatitis and fibrosis in MASLD: the LITMUS Imaging Study.

Imaging and serum biomarkers, including MRE and Agile scores, accurately diagnose cirrhosis with AUCs exceeding 0.87 in MASLD patients.

• Why it matters: Reliable noninvasive biomarkers are essential for early detection and management of steatohepatitis and fibrosis in MASLD, addressing a critical gap in current diagnostic methods.
• What they did: The study prospectively evaluated 357 participants using imaging techniques (MRE, VCTE), serum biomarkers (NIS2+), and composite scores (Agile 3+ and 4), assessing their diagnostic accuracy for steatohepatitis and fibrosis.
• The result: Several biomarkers, notably MRE and Agile scores, exceeded performance criteria for cirrhosis detection, enabling improved noninvasive diagnosis and staging of advanced liver disease in MASLD.