Parameter
| Biomarker | Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) | Full name | Polyunsaturated fatty acids (e.g., EPA, DHA, linoleic acid) | Molecular Type | Lipids (fatty acids) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molecular Formula | Varies by subtype (EPA: C₂₀H₃₀O₂; DHA: C₂₂H₃₂O₂; Linoleic acid: C₁₈H₃₂O₂) | Molecular Weight | Varies by subtype (EPA: 302.46 Da; DHA: 328.50 Da; Linoleic acid: 280.45 Da) | Core Functional Dimensions | Regulation of lipid metabolism |
| Disease | Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MASLD) | Disease Subtypes | / | ||
| Organ | Liver | Test Sample / Technology Platform | Plasma (lipidomics mass spectrometry), Liver tissue (lipidomics mass spectrometry) | ||
| Pathobiological Mechanisms | Defects in PUFA uptake or synthesis in the liver reduce the content of PUFA in membrane phospholipids by 1-9%, destroying the structure and function of hepatocytes | ||||
| Clinical Availability Status | In the research phase, some centers carried out clinical research | ||||
| Notes and Dynamics | CK-18 (M30 fragment) is a specific biomarker reflecting hepatocyte apoptosis, which makes up for the deficiency of ALT/AST and other traditional indicators that are difficult to distinguish the types of hepatocyte injury (apoptosis/necrosis), and can indicate the occurrence and progression risk of NASH at an early stage. The detection is convenient and minimally invasive, but the current detection methods have not been fully standardized, and there are differences in the reference ranges of different laboratories. In the severe stage of liver fibrosis, the level may be false negative due to the reduction of the number of hepatocytes, which needs to be comprehensively interpreted in combination with ELF score, LSM and other indicators PUFA supplementation may have the potential to improve the lipid profile of MASLD, and relevant clinical studies are being promoted | ||||