Plasma protein glycosylation: a biomarker for predicting metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in...

plasma glycoproteins, influenced by systemic inflammatory conditions, hold promise as biomarkers for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

to explore the potential of these glycoproteins to identify and predict the course of MASLD in IBD patients.

an ambispective study was conducted involving patients with (cases) and without (controls) IBD. Of 947 IBD patients screened for inclusion in the study, 100 were selected (cases): 50 with IBD and MASLD and 50 without MASLD. Each IBD patient was matched with four controls without IBD. Additionally, each IBD patient was followed for a median of 25 (interquartile range [IQR]: 22-28) months. Plasma samples were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, examining the glycoproteins (Glyc-B, Glyc-F, and Glyc-A).

glycoprotein concentrations were significantly higher in the IBD group (p < 0.001), with IBD patients exhibiting MASLD showing the highest levels of glycoproteins compared to those without MASLD and the control group (p < 0.001). Concerning MASLD outcomes, all Glyc-B (p = 0.032), Glyc-F (p = 0.007) and Glyc-A (p = 0.006) showed significant associations with the persistence of hypertransaminasemia at the end of the monitoring period, Glyc B (p = 0.033) with the persistence of lower high density lipoprotein cholesterol, all glycoprotein groups (p < 0.001) with hypertriglyceridemia; and Glyc A (p = 0.015) and Glyc B (p = 0.009) with the development of impaired fasting glucose during follow-up.

plasma glycoproteins emerge as a promising biomarker for the presence of MASLD in IBD patients.