Diagnostic value of serological scores for the detection of liver steatosis in people living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries.

Fatty liver index (FLI) and hepatic steatosis index (HSI) are serologic scores used to detect liver steatosis. However, their diagnostic performance in people with HIV (PWH) remains unclear. We performed an external validation of FLI and HSI in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study. We systematically performed vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) among Swiss HIV Cohort Study participants at Bern University Hospital between November 2019 and August 2021. Individuals with viral hepatitis and pregnant women were excluded. We defined liver steatosis as controlled attenuation parameter ≥248 dB/m using VCTE. Model discrimination was assessed with the C-index and model calibration with calibration plots. A decision curve analysis was performed to compare the clinical usefulness of both scores. Of 321 participants, 91 (28.4%) were female, the median age was 51.4 years (IQR, 42-59), 230 (71.7%) were Caucasian, and 164 (51.1%) had a body mass index >25 kg/m2. VCTE-confirmed liver steatosis was present in 158 (49.2%). Overall, 125 (38.9%) had an FLI ≥60, and 128 (39.9%) had an HSI ≥36. At these cutoffs, the C-index to diagnose liver steatosis was 0.85 for FLI (95% CI, .80-.89) and 0.78 for HSI (95% CI, .73-.83). Whereas FLI was well calibrated, HSI overestimated the risk for steatosis. Both models showed a positive net benefit, with FLI having a greater net benefit when compared with HSI. FLI and HSI are valid tools to detect liver steatosis in PWH. FLI should be the preferred score, given its better performance and greater clinical usefulness.

Background Metabolism dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is hepatic steatosis along with increased weight or obesity, type 2 diabetes, or metabolic dysregulation and without significant alcohol consumption. The clinical prediction of MASLD using simple, non-invasive indices like Fatty Liver Index (FLI), NAFLD Liver Fat Score (NAFLD LFS), Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI), Steato Test and Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI) yielded heterogeneous results in different populations. Aim We aimed to compare five scores (Fatty Liver Index, NAFLD Liver Fat Score, Visceral Adiposity Index, Steato Test, Hepatic Steatosis Index) for prediction of liver steatosis. Method Patients with metabolic syndrome and alcohol intake less than 20 grams per day were included in the study. Patients with alcohol intake greater than 20 grams per day and known history of liver or biliary disease, infections, muscle injury, autoimmune diseases, thyroid disorders, underlying secondary diabetes mellitus, secondary hypertension, familial dyslipidemia, intake of medications like steroids, hepatotoxic drugs, chemotherapy or drugs altering liver function tests were excluded. The presence of fatty liver was confirmed on ultrasound. Five indices (Fatty Liver Index, NAFLD Liver Fat Score, Visceral Adiposity Index, Steato Test, Hepatic Steatosis Index) were applied to predict liver steatosis. The correlation of each index with presence of fatty liver was analyzed. Based on the sensitivity of the five scoring systems and prevalence of MASLD as observed in existing literature, with a 95% confidence interval and 20% allowable error, the minimum number of positive cases required is 24 and minimum sample size required is 77. Results Among 100 (100%) patients with metabolic syndrome, MASLD was seen in 65 patients (74% males, 56% females). The mean age of patients with MASLD was 59 years. Fatty Liver Index, NAFLD Liver Fat Score, Visceral Adiposity Index, Steato Test had statistically significant (p<0.005) correlation with fatty liver on ultrasound of abdomen. Fatty Liver Index had the highest Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.65 (Sensitivity=63, Specificity=62.9%), followed by NAFLD Liver Fat Score (AUROC=0.63, Sensitivity=64.4%, Specificity=62.9%), Visceral Adiposity Index (AUROC=0.628, Sensitivity=50.8%, Specificity=65.7%) and Steato Test (AUROC=0.61, Sensitivity=46.2%, Specificity=77%). Cut-offs for Fatty Liver Index, NAFLD Liver Fat Score, Visceral Adiposity Index, and Steato Test were 42, 0.5, 4, and 4.5 respectively. MASLD was present in 71.4% (N=35) of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 58.8% (N=30) without type 2 diabetes mellitus. Conclusion Fatty Liver Index, NAFLD Liver Fat Score, Visceral Adiposity Index, and Steato Test were comparable as early markers to predict liver steatosis in patients with metabolic syndrome.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming the leading cause of chronic liver disease in China. The early identification and management of patients at risk are essential. We aimed to develop a novel clinical and laboratory-based nomogram (CLN) model to predict NAFLD with high accuracy. We designed a retrospective cross-sectional study and enrolled 21,468 participants (16,468 testing and 5000 validation). Clinical information and laboratory/imaging results were retrieved. Significant variables independently associated with NAFLD were identified by a logistic regression model, and a NAFLD prediction CLN was constructed. The CLN was then compared with four existing NAFLD-related prediction models: the fatty liver index (FLI), the hepatic steatosis index (HSI), the visceral adiposity index (VAI) and the triglycerides and glucose (TyG) index. Area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) and decision curve analysis (DCA) were performed. A total of 6261/16,468 (38.02%) and 1759/5000 (35.18%) participants in the testing and validation datasets, respectively, had ultrasound-proven NAFLD. Six variables were selected to build the CLN: body mass index (BMI), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), uric acid (UA), fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglyceride (TG), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). The diagnostic accuracy of the CLN for NAFLD (AUROC 0.857, 95% CI 0.852-0.863) was significantly superior to that of the FLI (AUROC 0.849, 95% CI 0.843-0.855), the VAI (AUROC 0.752, 95% CI 0.745-0.760), the HSI (AUROC 0.828, 95% CI 0.822-0.834), and the TyG index (AUROC 0.774, 95% CI 0.767-0.781) (all p < 0.001). DCA confirmed the clinical utility of the CLN. This physical examination and laboratory test-based, nonimage-assisted novel nomogram has better performance in predicting NAFLD than the FLI, the VAI, the HSI and the TyG index alone. This model can be used as a quick screening tool to assess NAFLD in the general population.

BACKGROUND: Although is not yet established, recent studies suggest an increase prevalence of hepatic steatosis (HS) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Factors such as chronic inflammation, previous surgeries, drug-induced hepatotoxicity, malnutrition and intestinal dysbiosis seem to be involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. Aim: To assess the frequency of HS in IBD patients quantified by CAP (controlled attenuation parameter) and by clinical-analytical methods: Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI) and Fatty Liver Index (FLI). A secondary aim is to investigate risk factors associated with HS in IBD patients. METHODS: Cross-sectional study that included consecutive outpatients that were observed in our department between January and March 2017. Patients with known liver disease or alcohol habits were excluded. HS was defined as HSI ≥ 36 or FLI ≥ 60 or CAP> 248. RESULTS: 149 patients included with mean age 40.7 ± 13 years, 83 female (55.7%), 59.7% with Crohn's disease (CD). 62 patients (41.7%) had CAP> 248, 20 (13.4%) FLI> 60 and 40 (26.8%) HSI> 36. There were no differences in the mean CAP value (244 ± 54.2), HSI (33.3 ± 5.18), and FLI (31.5 ± 25.3) among patients with CD and Ulcerative Colitis. We found that patients with CAP> 248 were more frequently obese (27.4% vs 0% p <0.001), males (54.8% vs. 36.8% P=0.029) and presented more frequently metabolic syndrome (25% vs 4.6% p <0.001). Regarding the IBD factors, patients with HS had a higher frequency of previous surgeries (30.6% vs16.1% P=0.035). There were no differences between hospitalization, duration of the disease, use of corticosteroids or other IBD treatments. CONCLUSION(S): In our cohort, the frequency of HS varied between 13.4% and 41.7% defined by non-invasive methods. We found that the presence of metabolic syndrome and obesity were more frequent in patients with HS. Regarding factors related to IBD, patients with previous history of surgery were more frequently diagnosed with HS.

P134 Are hepatic steatosis predictive scores still useful to predict metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in Crohn’s disease patients?

Modeling Reductions in Liver Fat: Comparing Noninvasive Tests to Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Proton Density Fat Fraction.

Presently noninvasive methods were employed to the diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), including fatty liver index (FLI), hepatic steatosis index (HSI), product of fasting triglyceride and glucose levels (TyG), and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), whereas the accuracy of those indexes need to be improved. Our study aimed to investigate the feasibility of a new index comprehensive index (CI), consisting of 6 serum biomarkers and anthropometric parameters through multivariate logistic regression analysis, to the earlier detection of NAFLD, and the diagnostic value of 5 SNPs (S1: rs2854116 of apolipoprotein C3 [APOC3], S2: rs4149267 of ATP-binding cassette transporter [ABCA1], S3: rs13702 of lipoprotein lipase [LPL], S4: rs738409 of protein 3 [patatin-like phospholipase domain containing protein 3 (PNPLA3)], S5: rs780094 of glucokinase regulatory protein gene [GCKR]) for NAFLD were also explored. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC) and Youden index (YI) were calculated to assess the diagnostic value. The AUROC of CI was higher than FLI, HSI, and TyG (CI: 0.897, FLI: 0.873, HSI: 0.855, TyG: 0.793). Therefore, CI might be a better index for the diagnosis of NAFLD. Although there had no statistical significance (P = .123), the AUROC and YI were increased when CI combined with rs2854116 (S1) (AUROC = 0.902, YI = 0.6844). The combination of CI with S1 showed even better diagnostic accuracy than CI, which suggests the potential value of rs2854116 for the diagnosis of NAFLD.

Controlled attenuation parameter (<scp>CAP</scp>): a new device for fast evaluation of liver fat?

BackgroundTo assess the clinical validity of controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) in the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis in a series of overweight or obese children by using the imperfect gold standard methodology.MethodsConsecutive children referred to our institution for auxological evaluation or obesity or minor elective surgery were prospectively enrolled. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were recorded. Ultrasound (US) assessment of steatosis was carried out using ultrasound systems. CAP was obtained with the FibroScan 502 Touch device (Echosens, Paris, France). Pearson’s or Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used to test the association between two study variables. Optimal cutoff of CAP for detecting steatosis was 249 dB/m. The diagnostic performance of dichotomized CAP, US, body mass indexes (BMI), fatty liver index (FLI) and hepatic steatosis index (HSI) was analyzed using the imperfect gold standard methodology.ResultsThree hundred five pediatric patients were enrolled. The data of both US and CAP were available for 289 children. Steatosis was detected in 50/289 (17.3%) children by US and in 77/289 (26.6%) by CAP. A moderate to good correlation was detected between CAP and BMI (r = 0.53), FLI (r = 0.55) and HSI (r = 0.56). In obese children a moderate to good correlation between CAP and insulin levels (r = 0.54) and HOMA-IR (r = 0.54) was also found. Dichotomized CAP showed a performance of 0.70 (sensitivity, 0.72 [0.64–0.79]; specificity, 0.98 [0.97–0.98], which was better than that of US (performance, 0.37; sensitivity, 0.46 [0.42–0.50]; specificity, 0.91 [0.89–0.92]), BMI (performance, 0.22; sensitivity, 0.75 [0.73–0.77]; specificity, 0.57 [0.55–0.60]) and FLI or HSI.ConclusionsFor the evaluation of liver steatosis in children CAP performs better than US, which is the most widely used imaging technique for screening patients with a suspicion of liver steatosis. A cutoff value of CAP of 249 dB/m rules in liver steatosis with a very high specificity.

Hepatic steatosis is a leading cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and is highly prevalent in persons with HIV (PWH). However, most studies of hepatic steatosis diagnosis in PWH have focused on those at high risk. We determined the accuracy of vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) with controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) in detecting mild or greater hepatic steatosis as compared with the noninvasive gold standard magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in PWH. Among 149 participants with and without HIV, we evaluated test characteristics of CAP and calculated serum indices Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI) and STEATO-ELSA in identifying 3T MRS-measured hepatic steatosis (defined as a liver fat fraction ≥5%). Most participants were women and over half were African American. Median BMI was 27 kg/m 2 . Hepatic steatosis prevalence by MRS and CAP (cutoff 248 dB/m) was 36% and 47%, respectively. CAP had an AUROC of 0.82, and the at least 248 dB/m cutoff yielded a sensitivity, specificity, positive-predictive value, and negative-predictive value of 83%, 72%, 61%, and 88%, respectively. These test characteristics were not statistically different from the optimal cutoff of at least 252 dB/m. Higher waist circumference, greater visceral adipose tissue, heavy alcohol use, and VCTE scans flagged as having the probe positioned too low were associated with CAP and MRS discordance. Serum indices of hepatic steatosis had slightly worse performance characteristics than CAP. CAP may be an effective alternative to MRS for noninvasive hepatic steatosis assessment in PWH. The commonly used CAP cutoff of at least 248 dB/m to diagnose hepatic steatosis can be used in PWH.

BackgroundInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients have a higher risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) compared with the general population. However, it is not known whether available non-invasive hepatic steatosis scores are useful in predicting MAFLD in IBD patients. We aimed to analyze the performances of MAFLD screening score (MAFLD-S), Fatty Liver Index (FLI), Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI) and Clinical Prediction Tool for NAFLD in Crohn’s Disease (CPN-CD), in identifying MAFLD in IBD patients.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out including consecutive adult IBD outpatients submitted to transient elastography (TE). MAFLD criteria were assessed, and hepatic steatosis (HS) was defined by a controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) >248 dB/m using TE. MAFLD-S, FLI, HSI, and CPN-CD were calculated and their accuracy for the prediction of MAFLD was evaluated through their areas under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curves.ResultsOf 168 patients, body mass index ≥25, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and arterial hypertension were present in 76 (45.2%), 10 (6.0%), 53 (31.5%), 20 (11.9%), respectively. HS was identified in 77 (45.8%) patients, of which 65 (84.4%) fulfilled MAFLD criteria. MAFLD-S (AUROC, 0.929 [95% CI, 0.888-0.971]) had outstanding and FLI (AUROC, 0.882 [95% CI, 0.830–0.934]), HSI (AUROC, 0.803 [95% CI, 0.736–0.871]), and CPN-CD (AUROC, 0.822 [95% CI, 0.753–0.890) had excellent discrimination in predicting MAFLD.ConclusionsMAFLD-S, FLI, HSI and CPN-CD scores can accurately identify MAFLD in IBD patients, allowing the selection of those in whom hepatic steatosis and metabolic risk factors assessment may be particularly beneficial.

Background/aim: Previous studies have suggested that the hepatic steatosis index (HSI) and fatty liver index (FLI) can be used as a predictor of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of our study was to determine whether non-invasive indices of hepatic steatosis (HSI and FLI) are associated with carotid atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the T2DM patients (n=768). Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) was measured by the Color Doppler ultrasound. The HSI was calculated based on gender, body mass index (BMI), and transaminases level. The FLI was based on BMI, waist circumference (WC), triacylglycerols (TG) and g-glutamyl transferase (GGT).Results: Raised HSI and FLI levels was associated with increased CIMT levels in T2DM patients. Patients with greater CIMT had higher HSI (39.10 ± 5.70 vs 36.10 ± 4.18, P < 0.001) and FLI (46.35 (29.96, 65.54) vs 36.93 (18.7, 57.93), P < 0.001) than those with lower CIMT. Subjects with existing carotid plaque had higher HSI (38.28 ± 5.63 vs 35.69 ± 3.45 P < 0.001) and FLI (47.41 (27.77, 66.62) vs 37.19 (17.71, 51.78), P < 0.001) accordingly. HSI (r = 0.343, P < 0.001) and FLI (r = 0.184, P < 0.001) were positively related with the CIMT. In the linear regression, after full adjustment metabolic risk factors, smoking, and measures of insulin resistance, HSI and FLI were independently associated with CIMT (HSI: β = 0.011, FLI: β = 0.001, all P < 0.01). Further, logistic regression analyses showed that higher HSI and FLI had an impact on the risk for carotid atherosclerosis [HSI: OR (95%CI): 1.174 (1.123-1.228), FLI: OR (95%CI): 1.011(1.004-1.019), all P < 0.01]. Overall, increasing values of HSI and FLI were associated with CIMT (P < 0.05) significantly across different categories of age and hypertension.Conclusion: Current data suggest HSI and FLI are independently correlated with carotid atherosclerosis in T2DM. They may be a simple and useful marker for assessing the progression of diabetic macrovascular complications.

Optimal Cutoffs of Fatty Liver Index and Hepatic Steatosis Index in Diagnosing Pediatric Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease.

Metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has become the most common liver disease globally, yet no new drugs have been approved for clinical treatment. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between dietary intake of soy-derived daidzein and MAFLD, to find potentially effective treatments. We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 1,476 participants in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2017 to 2018 and their associated daidzein intake from the flavonoid database in the USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS). We investigated the relationship between MAFLD status, controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), AST/Platelet Ratio Index (APRI), Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4), liver stiffness measurement (LSM), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) fibrosis score (NFS), hepatic steatosis index (HSI), fatty liver index (FLI), and daidzein intake by adjusting for confounding variables using binary logistic regression models and linear regression models. In the multivariable-adjusted model II, there was a negative association between daidzein intake and the incidence of MAFLD (OR for Q4 versus Q1 was 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.46-0.91, p = 0.0114, p for trend was 0.0190). CAP was also negatively associated with daidzein intake, β = -0.37, 95% CI: -0.63 to -0.12, p = 0.0046 in model II after adjusting for age, sex, race, marital status, education level, family income-to-poverty ratio (PIR), smoking, and alcohol consumption. Stratified by quartiles of daidzein intake, trend analysis of the relationship between daidzein intake and CAP remained significant (p for trend = 0.0054). In addition, we also found that HSI, FLI, and NFS were negatively correlated with daidzein intake. LSM was negatively related to daidzein intake but had no statistical significance. The correlation between APRI, FIB-4, and daidzein intake was not strong (although p < 0.05, β values were all 0). We found that MAFLD prevalence, CAP, HSI, and FLI, all decreased with increased daidzein intake, suggesting that daidzein intake may improve hepatic steatosis. Therefore, dietary patterns of soy food or supplement consumption may be a valuable strategy to reduce the disease burden and the prevalence of MAFLD.

BackgroundNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a common liver disease worldwide, can be reversed early in life with lifestyle and medical interventions. This study aimed to develop a noninvasive tool to screen NAFLD accurately.MethodsRisk factors for NAFLD were identified using multivariate logistic regression analysis, and an online NAFLD screening nomogram was developed. The nomogram was compared with reported models (fatty liver index (FLI), atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), and hepatic steatosis index (HSI)). Nomogram performance was evaluated through internal and external validation (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database).ResultsThe nomogram was developed based on six variables. The diagnostic performance of the present nomogram for NAFLD (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC): 0.863, 0.864, and 0.833, respectively) was superior to that of the HSI (AUROC: 0.835, 0.833, and 0.810, respectively) and AIP (AUROC: 0.782, 0.773, and 0.728, respectively) in the training, validation, and NHANES sets. Decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve analysis presented good clinical utility.ConclusionThis study establishes a new online dynamic nomogram with excellent diagnostic and clinical performance. It has the potential to be a noninvasive and convenient method for screening individuals at high risk for NAFLD.