Lymph Node Adiposity and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Hepatology
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a growing health concern, often diagnosed late.
• Current diagnostic methods for MASLD lack early detection capabilities.
• Lymph node adiposity (LNA), visible on mammography, is a novel marker linked to cardiometabolic risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between MASLD and mammographic LNA.
• To evaluate LNA as a potential non-invasive imaging biomarker for MASLD.
• To explore LNA's utility in identifying patients with MASLD and its progression to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 161 women with pathology-proven MASLD and screening mammograms within 12 months of liver biopsy.
• Quantitative evaluation of axillary lymph node adiposity (LNA) from mammographic images.
• Statistical correlation of LNA measurements with MASLD histology using logistic regression and odds ratios.

Main Results:

• A significant association was found between MASLD and mammographic LNA (LN length > 16 mm, p = 0.0004), independent of BMI.
• LNA also showed a significant association with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) identified by liver biopsy (p = 0.0048).

Conclusions:

• Mammographic LNA shows promise as an accessible imaging biomarker for detecting MASLD in women.
• LNA may aid in identifying individuals at higher risk for developing MASH.
• Further research could validate LNA's role in MASLD screening and risk stratification.