The Role of Inflammatory Markers in the Diagnosis and Monitoring of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Authors

  • Moamen Abdelfadil Ismail Internal Medicine consultant, King Abdulaziz specialist hospital - Sakaka – Aljouf
  • Muqrin Mulfi Owaidh Almutairi Nursing
  • Feras Alnufaily KFU Medical Student
  • Abdulrahman Atallah Aldughaylibi Family Medicine
  • Rashed Hassan Ali Almalki Medical Laboratory Sciences, Almostaqbal Labs
  • Nawaf Mohsen Mubarak Alsuhaymi Internal Medicine
  • Norah Turki M Aljuaid General Practitioner, Makkah Maternity and Children’s Hospital (MOH), Makkah Saudi Arabia
  • Rahaf Sawan Moaz Pharmacy, Pharmacist
  • Rahaf Abdullah Alshahrani Medical intern
  • Asayil Soliman Alqurashi King Abdaiiah Midical City, Nursing
  • Ahmed Abdullah M. Alshehri Radiology technologist, Almjardah general hospital
  • Ohud Ghulayyim Alghamdi Applied Medical college, Al Baha University, Laboratory of Medicine
  • Amina Jaafar Abdulla Ali Alsaffar Intern Doctor, Mansoura University
  • Intesar Saleh Almahdi General practitioner
  • Fatima Mohsen Ibrahim Ali General practitioner

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56801/MME1201

Keywords:

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), Systemic Inflammation Index (SII), Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI).

Abstract

Background: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a growing concern in chronic liver disorders, with a global prevalence of 32.4%. It is associated with metabolic dysfunctions, including insulin resistance, and may progress to severe liver complications, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. Identifying reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis and monitoring of NAFLD is critical for effective management. Inflammatory markers like the Systemic Inflammation Index (SII) and the Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI) have emerged as potential biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring the progression of various diseases, including NAFLD. However, their role in NAFLD remains underexplored.

Methods: This  cohort study analyzed data from 868 adult patients diagnosed or suspected of having NAFLD, .Inflammatory markers (SII and SIRI) were calculated from complete blood counts (CBC), and liver function was assessed through standard tests and imaging. The relationship between these inflammatory markers and NAFLD prevalence and severity was evaluated using correlation analysis, comparative tests, logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results: Higher SII and SIRI values were significantly associated with an increased risk of NAFLD. The odds ratio for NAFLD prevalence was highest in the top quartile of the SII (OR = 3.45, 95% CI: 2.18–5.48, p < 0.001) and SIRI (OR = 3.13, 95% CI: 1.99–4.92, p < 0.001) indices, after adjusting for confounders like age, sex, comorbidities, and lifestyle factors. ROC curve analysis showed that both SII and SIRI had good diagnostic accuracy for predicting NAFLD.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that both SII and SIRI are significantly associated with NAFLD prevalence and severity. These inflammatory markers may serve as useful tools for early diagnosis and monitoring of NAFLD. Incorporating these indices into routine clinical assessments could improve patient outcomes by facilitating early intervention and better management of NAFLD and related metabolic disorders. Further prospective studies with larger, more diverse populations are needed to confirm these findings.

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Moamen Abdelfadil Ismail, Muqrin Mulfi Owaidh Almutairi, Feras Alnufaily, Abdulrahman Atallah Aldughaylibi, Rashed Hassan Ali Almalki, Nawaf Mohsen Mubarak Alsuhaymi, Norah Turki M Aljuaid, Rahaf Sawan, Rahaf Abdullah Alshahrani, Asayil Soliman Alqurashi, Ahmed Abdullah M. Alshehri, Ohud Ghulayyim Alghamdi, Amina Jaafar Abdulla Ali Alsaffar, Intesar Saleh Almahdi, and Fatima Mohsen Ibrahim Ali. 2025. “The Role of Inflammatory Markers in the Diagnosis and Monitoring of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease”. Metallurgical and Materials Engineering 31 (1):1-8. https://doi.org/10.56801/MME1201.

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Research