Mac-2 binding protein in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Is it a reliable diagnostic biomarker? A pilot study

AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to assess the level of serum Mac-2 binding protein (Mac-2BP) as a non-invasive biomarker for the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty patients with NAFLD and 15 healthy sex- and age-matched subjects were included in this pilot study. Serum Mac-2BP level was measured using ELISA. Liver biopsy was taken from 20 patients. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between patients and controls regarding the level of Mac-2BP (p = 0.209). Mac-2BP had a statistically significant correlation with the grade of lobular inflammation (r = 0.464, p = 0.039). The Mac-2BP cut-off value used for NASH prediction was 9.55 µg/ml, with sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 91.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that Mac-2BP is not elevated in NAFLD patients compared to controls. It also demonstrated that the reliability of Mac-2BP as a biomarker for NAFLD diagnosis is still controversial and needs more investigation.