Sangsoo Han, Miyoung Choi, Bora Lee, Hye-Won Lee, Seong Hee Kang, Yuri Cho, Sang Bong Ahn, Do Seon Song, Dae Won Jun, Jieun Lee, and Jeong-Ju Yoo. Gut and Liver 2022;16:952-63. https://doi.org/10.5009/gnl210391

Background/Aims: The early detection and prevention of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been emphasized considering the burden of this disease. Both hepatic and peripheral insulin resistances are strongly associated with NAFLD. We aimed to compare the predictive powers of a hepatic insulin resistance index, the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and a novel peripheral insulin resistance index, the metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR), for the prediction of prevalent and incident NAFLD.Methods: Data from 8,360 adults aged 40–69 years at baseline and 5,438 adults without NAFLD who were followed-up at least once after the baseline survey in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study were analyzed. The survey was performed biennially, up to the eighth follow-up.Results: The predictive powers of the METS-IR and HOMA-IR for prevalent NAFLD were not significantly different (area under the receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve [95% confidence interval]: METS-IR, 0.824 [0.814–0.834]; HOMAIR, 0.831 [0.821–0.842]; P=0.276). The area under the time-dependent ROC curve (Heagerty’s integrated area under the curve) of the METS-IR for incident NAFLD was 0.683 (0.671–0.695), significantly higher than that of the HOMA-IR (0.551 [0.539–0.563], P<0.001).Conclusions: The METS-IR is superior to the HOMA-IR for the prediction of incident NAFLD and is not inferior to the HOMA-IR for the prediction of prevalent NAFLD. This suggests that the METS-IR can be a more useful insulin resistance index than the HOMA-IR for the early detection and prevention of NAFLD in Korean population.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects approximately 30% of the population worldwide and includes nonalcoholic fatty liver, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and cirrhosis. Since NAFLD-associated diseases begin with steatosis, the early diagnosis of steatosis helps to prevent the progression of NASH and fibrosis. In addition, more convenient and easily diagnosable serum biomarkers are becoming crucial in disease diagnosis. In this report, we summarize the known serum biomarkers for liver steatosis and provide guidance for their application in clinical practice.