SUMMARY:
UCLA Researchers in the department of medicine have discovered distinct protein signatures in the blood of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as well as NAFLD-related traits including steatosis, hepatocellular ballooning, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). These proteins were identified using the next-generation sequencing method thereby, paving way for non-invasive diagnoses of NAFLD and related diseases in the future. purposes.
BACKGROUND:
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition where fat builds up in the liver which is attributed to causes other than alcohol abuse. NAFLD is an umbrella term comprising of a continuum of liver conditions varying in severity of injury and resulting fibrosis. It is the most common chronic liver disease affecting individuals in the United States; the number of NAFLD cases is projected to expand from 83.1 million in 2015 (~25% of the population) to 100.9 million in 2030. However, very little is understood about the molecular mechanism through which the disease progresses, and the phenotypes it causes. NAFLD is usually asymptomatic so diagnosis usually follows the incidental finding of abnormal liver enzymes or steatosis on imaging. Current diagnostic approaches for NAFLD include (1) blood tests measuring the levels of liver enzymes; (2) imaging techniques such as ultrasound, computed tomographic (CT) scan, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); (3) transient elastography; and (4) liver biopsy. Clinicians continue to rely on abnormal levels of liver enzymes to identify patients with NAFLD; however, studies have found poor correlation between elevated liver enzymes and NAFLD diagnoses. Liver biopsy is the most accurate and definite way to diagnose NAFLD. Thus, there is an urgent need for non-invasive diagnostic options that can accurately detect NAFLD at a variety of stages of disease progression to avoid expensive and stressful biopsies in the clinic and allow early intervention and avoid the development of NASH. Furthermore, a better understanding of the molecular signature of NAFLD could lead to advances in available treatments for NAFLD and NASH in patients presenting with symptoms.
INNOVATION:
UCLA researchers in the Department of Medicine have discovered a molecular signature of NAFLD. The study used gene expression data to ultimately correlate levels of secreted proteins with NAFLD and NAFLD-related traits including steatosis, hepatocellular ballooning, and NASH. Data from 144 patients diagnosed with varying stages of NAFLD was used to identify the correlated proteins, indicating that the markers can be used to diagnose a wide range of NAFLD presentations. This work is paramount to developing accurate and reliable blood-based diagnostics for NAFLD that circumvent the need for biopsies and tests ruling out other hepatic disorders.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:
- Non-invasive diagnosis of NAFLD.
- Development of treatments that target upregulated protein markers of NAFLD.
ADVANTAGES:
- Non-invasive diagnoses of NAFLD
- High specificity and sensitivity
- Wide applicability across different stages of NAFLD
DEVELOPMENT-TO-DATE:
UCLA researchers have analyzed data from patients diagnosed with NAFLD to identify over 10 markers that strongly correlate with NAFLD, steatosis, hepatocellular ballooning, and NASH, along with associated expression values for each.