Noninvasive diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Are we there yet?

Metabolism. 2016 Aug;65(8):1087-95. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2016.01.013. Epub 2016 Feb 2.

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has rapidly become the most common form of chronic liver disease in the United States affecting approximately 80-100 million Americans. NAFLD includes a spectrum of diseases ranging from nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to fibrosis and eventually cirrhosis. Patients with NASH and significant fibrosis on liver biopsy have an increased risk for liver-related morbidity and mortality compared to those with NAFL. Due to the high prevalence of NAFLD and its progressive nature, there has been an urgent need to develop reliable noninvasive tests that can accurately predict the presence of advanced disease without the need for liver biopsy. These tests can be divided into those that predict the presence of NASH and those that predict the presence of fibrosis. In this review, we provide a concise overview of different noninvasive methods for staging the severity of NAFLD.

Keywords: Biomarkers; Fibrosis; NASH.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Disease Progression
  • Elasticity Imaging Techniques
  • Humans
  • Liver / diagnostic imaging
  • Liver / pathology*
  • Liver Cirrhosis / blood
  • Liver Cirrhosis / diagnosis*
  • Liver Cirrhosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Liver Cirrhosis / pathology
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / blood
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / diagnosis*
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / diagnostic imaging
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / pathology
  • United States

Substances

  • Biomarkers