SAF Scoring Study Links Risk Factors to MASLD Severity

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which includes metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), significantly impacts public health, contributing to a substantial increase in liver-related morbidity and mortality. Standardized assessment tools for linking histopathological features of MASLD to clinical risk factors remain underdeveloped.

This retrospective study employed the SAF scoring system to evaluate liver biopsy specimens from patients diagnosed with MASLD. A total of 250 participants were included, with varying degrees of disease severity classified according to SAF scores. Clinical data were analyzed using multivariate regression techniques to identify risk factors associated with disease severity.

The study found a clear association between specific risk factors and MASLD severity, with SAF scores indicating a 40% increase in severe disease presence among patients with obesity (P<0.001) and a 30% increase in severity for those with type 2 diabetes (P<0.01). These findings suggest distinct histopathological profiles are reflective of underlying metabolic risk factors.

The results support the implementation of SAF scoring as a diagnostic tool that could refine therapeutic strategies in MASLD, especially among high-risk populations such as those with obesity and diabetes. Limitations include the retrospective design and single-center data, necessitating multicenter prospective studies for broader validation.

Original citation address: https://www.besjournal.com/en/article/doi/10.3967/bes2026.009