Simplified definition and imaging-based stratification of at-risk MASH using magnetic resonance elastography

Accurate identification of patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) at risk of disease progression (at-risk MASH) is critical for guiding resmetirom and semaglutide therapy. Inconsistent definitions of at-risk MASH complicate clinical risk classification and comparisons across studies. This study aimed to standardize the definition of at-risk MASH and propose optimized MRE-based liver stiffness (LS-MRE) cutoffs to improve noninvasive risk stratification and better guide pharmacotherapy.

In this prospective study, 413 patients with suspected or diagnosed MASLD from two medical centers underwent liver biopsy and MRE.

A simplified definition of at-risk MASH (MASH with fibrosis stage≥2) identified a broader group of patients requiring clinical attention than a stricter definition requiring NAFLD Activity Score≥4 with ≥1 point in steatosis, inflammation, and ballooning (n=122 vs. 77). LS-MRE alone showed the highest diagnostic accuracy for identifying at-risk MASH using the simplified definition (AUC 0.91 [0.87, 0.95]) and cirrhosis (AUC 0.93 [0.88, 0.99]), compared with FIB-4 and individual laboratory parameters (AST, ALT, and platelet count) (p<0.01 for all, paired DeLong tests). Optimized LS-MRE cutoffs (2.8-6.4 kPa) captured 25 additional biopsy-proven pharmacotherapy candidates (28% of all eligible patients) compared to AASLD guidelines-recommended cutoffs (3.1-4.4 kPa), improving sensitivity (80% vs. 50%) with acceptable specificity (73% vs. 88%).

A simplified definition of at-risk MASH enables broader identification of treatment candidates. LS-MRE demonstrates excellent diagnostic performance and improves noninvasive risk stratification when paired with optimized cutoffs. These findings support the use of MRE to guide resmetirom and semaglutide eligibility and improve access to emerging therapies.