Clinical Biochemistry of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): Emerging Diagnostic Markers and Therapeutic Targets

Between 25 and 30 percent of persons worldwide suffer with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most prevalent chronic liver disease in the world. NAFLD encompasses a range of liver diseases, such as simple steatosis, cirrhosis, fibrosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Clinical biochemistry is crucial for the early detection, staging, and monitoring of NAFLD. Due to the low diagnostic accuracy of conventional biomarkers like alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), scientists are searching for novel non-invasive indicators such circulating microRNAs, metabolomic signatures, and cytokeratin-18 (CK-18). The current understanding of NAFLD pathogenesis is summarized in this review, which also discusses both established and novel biochemical markers and highlights potential therapy targets and future research direction.