Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40419913›Full record

Observational studyMedicine2025

Linking gut permeability to liver steatosis: Noninvasive biomarker evaluation in MASLD patients - a prospective cross-sectional study.

Andrei Dumitru, Cristina Tocia, Alina-Cristina Bădescu, Anamaria Trandafir, Luana Alexandrescu, Razvan Popescu, Eugen Dumitru, Anca Chisoi, Mihaela Manea, Elena Matei and 2 more

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Andrei Dumitru"Sf. Apostol Andrei" Clinical Emergency County Hospital, Constanta, Romania.ORCID 0000-0002-9550-3537
Cristina Tocia"Sf. Apostol Andrei" Clinical Emergency County Hospital, Constanta, Romania.ORCID 0000-0002-4857-0630
Alina-Cristina Bădescu"Sf. Apostol Andrei" Clinical Emergency County Hospital, Constanta, Romania.
Anamaria TrandafirFaculty of Medicine, Ovidius University of Constanta, Constanta, Romania.ORCID 0000-0001-7542-2441
Luana Alexandrescu"Sf. Apostol Andrei" Clinical Emergency County Hospital, Constanta, Romania.ORCID 0000-0002-0182-3549
Razvan Popescu"Sf. Apostol Andrei" Clinical Emergency County Hospital, Constanta, Romania.
Eugen Dumitru"Sf. Apostol Andrei" Clinical Emergency County Hospital, Constanta, Romania.ORCID 0000-0002-7268-3723
Anca Chisoi"Sf. Apostol Andrei" Clinical Emergency County Hospital, Constanta, Romania.
Mihaela ManeaCenter for Research and Development of the Morphological and Genetic Studies of Malignant Pathology, "Ovidius" University of Constanta, Constanta, Romania.
Elena MateiCenter for Research and Development of the Morphological and Genetic Studies of Malignant Pathology, "Ovidius" University of Constanta, Constanta, Romania.ORCID 0000-0002-8554-7739
Georgeta Camelia Cozaru"Sf. Apostol Andrei" Clinical Emergency County Hospital, Constanta, Romania.ORCID 0000-0003-0202-5933
Sorin RuginăAcademy of Romanian Scientists, Bucharest, Romania.

Funding

Ovidius University of Constanta UOC 14449/21 October
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Recent research highlights a potential link between metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and intestinal barrier dysfunction. Increased intestinal permeability (IP) may facilitate the translocation of bacteria, endotoxins (e.g., lipopolysaccharides [LPS]), and pathogen-associated molecular patterns into the portal venous system, fostering a pro-inflammatory environment and contributing to liver inflammation. This study aimed to identify correlations between intestinal barrier biomarkers (occludin, LPS, and intestinal-type fatty-acid-binding proteins [I-FABP]) and MASLD. A single-center prospective cross-sectional study was conducted, including 72 MASLD patients and 68 healthy controls. Fibroscan-controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) was performed in all subjects. Blood samples were analyzed for biochemical parameters, and serum levels of occludin, LPS, and I-FABP were measured using the ELISA method with the Human occludin, LPS, and I-FABP ELISA Kit test systems (FineTest, Wuhan, China). LPS and I-FABP levels were significantly higher in MASLD patients compared to controls, with the highest LPS levels observed in the diabetic MASLD subgroup. Occludin levels showed no statistically significant differences between groups. All 3 biomarkers were positively correlated with BMI, with the highest levels in obese subjects. LPS was positively correlated with CRP levels. Using Fibroscan-CAP, we found a positive correlation between LPS and both liver stiffness and CAP score, as well as between I-FABP and liver stiffness. MASLD patients exhibit increased IP, with enterocyte injury present irrespective of diabetes status, though more pronounced in diabetic MASLD. Occludin does not appear to be a reliable biomarker for evaluating intestinal barrier function in MASLD. Obesity is linked to elevated biomarkers, suggesting an association between increased IP and obesity. I-FABP and LPS may serve as noninvasive biomarkers for assessing hepatic fibrosis and steatosis in MASLD patients. Notably, LPS, given its correlation with elevated CRP levels, could be utilized as a marker of disease progression and severity.

Indexed as

Fatty LiverAdultBiomarkersCross-Sectional StudiesFatty Acid-Binding ProteinsFemaleHumansIntestinal MucosaLipopolysaccharidesMaleMiddle AgedOccludinPermeabilityProspective StudiesBiomarkersFatty Acid-Binding ProteinsLipopolysaccharidesOccludingut leakagegut-liver axisI-FABPintestinal permeabilityLPSMASLDoccludin

Identifiers

PMID40419913
PMCPMC12114047

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.