STAUFER Katharina

Minimally-Invasive Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Progression of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents an emerging health problem due to the increasing prevalence of obesity and the metabolic syndrome (MS) in Western societies, ranging from steatosis (NAFL), over steatohepatitis (NASH), to cirrhosis, and liver cancer. NAFLD is now recognised to be a major aggravating factor in the pathogenesis and progression of the MS and associated disorders and has become the third most common cause for liver transplantation. Diagnosis of NAFLD, besides laboratory markers to exclude other liver diseases, still necessitates invasive liver biopsy for differential diagnosis and assessment of steatohepatitis. Currently available conventional minimally-invasive serum markers correlate poorly with disease activity and progression risk NAFLD. Moreover, the distinction between non-alcoholic and alcoholic fatty liver disease (ALD) by non/minimally-invasive means remains a challenge. Growing evidence indicates that changes in fat and glucose metabolism, the innate immune system as well as oxidative stress play a key role in the development and progression of NAFLD. Therefore, the aim of this study is to (1) identify novel (auto-)immunological signatures and immune response patterns for the diagnosis of NAFLD as well as for discrimination of NAFL and NASH. Furthermore, (2) short and long-term alcohol markers will be evaluated for their potential of discriminating NAFLD from ALD. Finally, newly discovered biomarkers will be evaluated for their reliability and accuracy in comparison to currently established biomarkers for NAFLD and chronic liver disease.

Methods and Skills:

FACS; immunohistochemistry; bead based luminex technology