Publication Name	World Journal of Hepatology
Manuscript ID	119430
Country	China

Category	Medicine, Research & Experimental
Manuscript Type	Letter to the Editor
Article Title	Enhancing fibrosis prediction in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: The potential of combined biomarker approaches
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Hai-Sheng Hu, Lin-Shu Xu and Bao-Qing Sun
Funding Agency and Grant Number
Corresponding Author	Bao-Qing Sun, Professor, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, No. 28 Qiaozhong Middle Road, Guangzhou 510120, Guangdong Province, China. sunbaoqing@vip.163.com
Key Words	Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease; Liver fibrosis; Biomarkers; Diagnostic strategy; Inflammatory indices
Core Tip	This letter highlights the limited diagnostic accuracy of conventional markers (e.g., neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and C-reactive protein) for predicting liver fibrosis in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. To advance precision management, we propose a shift toward an integrated diagnostic paradigm. This strategy combines accessible systemic inflammation indices with novel biomarkers reflecting specific hepatic processes, such as N-terminal propeptide of type III collagen for fibrogenesis, liver-specific microRNAs, and metabolic proteins, such as fatty acid-binding protein 4. Future research should prioritize validating such mechanism-informed combinations to enable multidimensional risk assessment, establish actionable clinical thresholds, and guide personalized monitoring and intervention, ultimately improving prognosis in this heterogeneous patient population.
Citation	Hu HS, Xu LS, Sun BQ. Enhancing fibrosis prediction in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: The potential of combined biomarker approaches. World J Hepatol 2026; In press

Received	2026-01-28 03:10
Peer-Review Started	2026-01-28 03:10
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-01-30 09:04
Return for Revision	2026-01-30 09:04
Revised	2026-02-04 08:41
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2026-03-03 02:36
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-03-03 08:40
Articles in Press	2026-03-03 08:40
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	1948-5182 (online)
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