MAFLD was more easily diagnosed than NAFLD in liver transplant recipients with abnormal liver function

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is hepatic steatosis that is require the exclusion of certain etiologies, including drug usage or alcoholic consumption. Conversely, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) needs not to. In this study, we aimed to examine whether MAFLD is more easily diagnosed than NAFLD in liver transplant (LT) recipients with abnormal liver function.

In this cross-sectional study, LT recipients with abnormal liver function were investigated for the prevalence of MAFLD and NAFLD.

We recruited 57 LT recipients with abnormal liver function at a referral hospital. Among these patients, the prevalence of MAFLD and NAFLD was 37.8% and 11.1%, respectively. 17 patients showed hepatic steatosis, with an average NAFLD activity score of 3.5 and a fibrosis score of 1.0. Compared with non-MAFLD patients, MAFLD patients had a significant difference in fasting blood glucose levels (p = 0.009). Among 17 MAFLD patients, 12 were overweight and four were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. The majority of MAFLD diagnoses were based on body mass index (70.6%) and diabetes mellitus history (23.5%), biomarkers that are easily obtained. At 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after LT, MAFLD patients had higher levels of fasting blood glucose (6 months: p = 0.004, 12 months: p = 0.038) and higher trend of body mass index value and plasma triglyceride level but no significance.

MAFLD was more easily diagnosed in LT recipients with abnormal liver function and higher in prevalence than NAFLD. A larger sample size research is required to validate these conclusions.