Effects of intragastric balloon placement in metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease corresponds to a clinical entity that affects liver function triggered by the accumulation of fat in the liver and is linked with metabolic dysregulation. AIM: To evaluate the effects of the intragastric balloon (IGB) in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease through the assessment of liver enzymes, imaging and several metabolic markers. METHODS: A comprehensive search was done of multiple electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, Cochrane and Google Scholar) and grey literature from their inception until February 2021. Inclusion criteria involved patients with a body mass index > 25 kg/m(2 )with evidence or previous diagnosis of hepatic steatosis. Outcomes analyzed before and after 6 mo of IGB removal were alanine aminotransferase (IU/L), gamma-glutamyltransferase (IU/L), glycated hemoglobin (%), triglycerides (mg/dL), systolic blood pressure (mmHg), homeostatic model assessment, abdominal circumference (cm), body mass index (kg/m(2)) and liver volume (cm(3)). RESULTS: Ten retrospective cohort studies evaluating a total of 508 patients were included. After 6 mo of IGB placement, this significantly reduced alanine aminotransferase [mean difference (MD): 10.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): 8.12-12.3], gamma-glutamyltransferase (MD: 9.41, 95%CI: 6.94-11.88), glycated hemoglobin (MD: 0.17%, 95%CI: 0.03-0.31), triglycerides (MD: 38.58, 95%CI: 26.65-50.51), systolic pressure (MD: 7.27, 95%CI: 4.79-9.76), homeostatic model assessment (MD: 2.23%, 95%CI: 1.41-3.04), abdominal circumference (MD: 12.12, 95%CI: 9.82-14.41) and body mass index (MD: 5.07, 95%CI: 4.21-5.94). CONCLUSION: IGB placement showed significant efficacy in improving alanine aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltransferase levels in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease as well as improving metabolic markers related to disease progression.