New Non-invasive Biomarkers of Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)

Patients with MASLD and healthy volunteers will be offered an observational study evaluating the diagnostic role of new non-invasive experimental methods (serum bile acids, breath VOC, and plasmatic spectroscopic patterns) assessing the presence and severity of liver fibrosis and steatosis. First, this study aims to differentiate patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) from healthy controls (or simple steatosis) using three experimental methods. Second, the investigators aim to stratify patients with MASLD according to the presence/grade of steatosis and fibrosis (any, significant F2-3, advanced F3, cirrhosis F4) using the same methods. Experimental methods tested in this study include: 1. analyzing the fasting spectrum of serum bile acids using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry 2. analyzing the disease-specific spectroscopy patterns given by vibrational and chiroptical spectroscopy of blood plasma 3. analyzing trace concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in exhaled human breath using the Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry. This contains the so-called stress test to monitor breath VOC (d-Limonene and triethylamine) after their regulated ingestion in the form of capsules These parameters may eventually be combined with anthropometric and laboratory parameters (such as age or BMI). Clinical examinations, blood sampling, ultrasound examinations of the liver, and liver elastography will be performed as part of routine care. The results of the blood parameters can be retrospectively evaluated. Approximately 60-80 participants in total were anticipated for each method. For patients who participate in breath tests, adequate insurance must be guaranteed. Statistical processing: individual parameters will be evaluated in an exploratory and a validation group or by the PLS-DA algorithm with repeated cross-validation. A difference of p \<0.05 will be considered a statistically significant change.