# Positron emission tomography combined with serum biomarkers detects fibrotic MASH

## TL;DR

Combining PET imaging and blood tests helps detect liver disease and its severity without invasive procedures.

## Contribution

Combining dynamic FDG-PET/CT with FIB-4 test improves detection of MASH and its fibrotic subtypes.

## Key findings

- Dynamic FDG-PET/CT measures liver glucose transport rate and CT attenuation to identify MASH.
- Combining PET/CT with FIB-4 test distinguishes MASH from fibrotic subtypes effectively.
- FDG-PET technology can predict MASH severity and related comorbidities like cardiovascular disease.

## Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a rising global disease signaling the urgent need for non-invasive tests (NITs). Recent work demonstrated that dynamic 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging can identify MASH by measuring liver glucose transport rate, K1, and liver CT attenuation. By combining dynamic PET/CT with the serum-based fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) test, we were able to better distinguish clinical MASH from fibrotic subtypes, enabling determination of the core tenets of MASH: steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. Future studies using FDG-PET technology can further enable concomitant prediction of MASH severity and extrahepatic comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease.