Blood Protein Biomarker Evaluated for Fatty Liver Disease
A single blood protein called thrombospondin-2 stands out as a promising noninvasive marker for assessing advanced fatty liver disease and inflammation, Medical Xpress reported on November 1, 2026. Researchers evaluated 30 individual biomarkers and test combinations across 1,590 patients, finding that while none of the tests reached the threshold for diagnosing early stages of fatty liver disease without significant scarring, several methods performed very well in diagnosing significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.
LITMUS Study Analyzes 30 Diagnostic Tests Across 37 Centers
The findings stem from the Liver Investigation: Testing Marker Utility in Steatohepatitis study, which enrolled participants between 2018 and 2023. Researchers gathered data from 37 liver centers across 13 countries in Europe and the United States, utilizing tissue biopsies to accurately diagnose metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and its progressive stage, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. The initiative compared 30 separate diagnostic approaches to determine which methods best assess disease severity and monitor therapeutic progress.
2/5 Why it’s a title contender:Liver disease rarely exists in isolation.This theme brings metabolic health, alcohol use treatment, and hepatology together—with studies examining liver markers, emergency visits, and future liver-related events.
Thrombospondin-2 and Advanced Fibrosis Indicators
The Institute of Translational Immunology at University Medical Center Mainz developed and fully validated the thrombospondin-2 biomarker. As a connective tissue protein, its concentration in the bloodstream provides reliable indications of fibrotic changes linked to cirrhosis risk. While none of the 30 tested methods reached the predefined diagnostic threshold for early fatty liver disease without significant scarring, several techniques—including specialized ultrasound elastography and the thrombospondin-2 marker—performed well in detecting significant liver fibrosis and MASH at risk.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Marker Study
Which institutions conducted the LITMUS study?
The study was conducted across 37 liver centers in 13 countries throughout Europe and the United States, with biomarker development and validation by the Institute of Translational Immunology at University Medical Center Mainz.
How many patients participated in the evaluation?
Researchers analyzed data from 1,590 patients who had been accurately diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease via tissue biopsy between 2018 and 2023.
Can blood tests currently replace liver biopsies entirely?
The study found that none of the 30 evaluated methods met the threshold for diagnosing early-stage fatty liver disease without significant scarring, though several methods performed very well in diagnosing significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.
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