ArticleHepatology (Baltimore, Md.)2021
Transcriptomics Identify Thrombospondin-2 as a Biomarker for NASH and Advanced Liver Fibrosis.
Article in Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 89 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
89 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 165 citations in OpenAlex.
- Conserved hepatic RNA signatures across multiple cohorts reveal novel mechanistic clues for advanced fibrosis in human MASLD.Hepatology communications · 2026Pooled it
- Comprehensive meta-analysis reveals distinct gene expression signatures of MASLD progression.Life science alliance · 2024Pooled it
- Clinically important alterations in pharmacogene expression in histologically severe nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.Nature communications · 2023Pooled it
- Diagnostic and Prognostic Roles of Thrombospondin-2 in Digestive System Cancers.BioMed research international · 2022Pooled it
- Plasma proteome of the EAT-Lancet diet and long-term risks of cardiovascular disease and mortality.Food & function · 2026Article
- Rab1A Promotes Hepatic Steatosis by Suppressing Mitophagy via the Raf-1/ERK1/2/PINK1 Signaling Axis.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Review
- Gene-Based Clustering Identifies QSOX1 and IL1RAP as Biomarkers of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver · 2026Article
- Intrahepatic Platelets Orchestrate Microenvironmental Remodelling and Cellular Crosstalk in Liver Fibrosis.Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver · 2026Review
- A data-driven framework reconstructs the molecular continuum of human MASLD progression.Nature metabolism · 2026Article
- Multiplexed targeted mRNA profiling of alcohol-related liver disease reveals stage-specific dysregulation of signaling pathways.Molecular biology reports · 2026Article
- Development and clinical validation of a novel protein biomarkers-based algorithm for risk prediction and diagnosis of advanced liver fibrosis: a multi-centre study.Journal of advanced research · 2026Article
- Review
- Exploring Transcriptomic and MRI-Derived Parameters Correlations in NAFLD Fibrosis: Insights from a Rat Model.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2026Article
- Article
- Palmitoleic acid promoted by BMPR2 signaling primes CD169 macrophages and alleviates liver fibrosis.Communications biology · 2026Article
- ADAR1 Controls Macrophage Scavenging and Lipid-Buffering Programs in Metabolic Tissues.European journal of immunology · 2026Article
- Neuroprotective Role of THBS2 in Experimental Spinal Cord Injury Via its Anti-neuroinflammatory and Anti-apoptotic Properties.Biochemical genetics · 2026Article
- F13A1-Mediated Macrophage Activation Promotes MASH Progression via the PKM2/HIF1A Pathway.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Genome-wide CRISPR screen identifies ACSL3 as a regulator of lipotoxicity and progression of MASLD.Hepatology communications · 2026Article
29 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
Authors and funding
20 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsNAFLD is the most common liver disease worldwide. NASH, the progressive form of NAFLD, and advanced fibrosis are associated with poor outcomes. We searched for their noninvasive biomarkers. APPROACH AND
resultsGlobal RNA sequencing of liver tissue from 98 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD was performed. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering well distinguished NASH from nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), and patients with NASH exhibited molecular abnormalities reflecting their pathological features. Transcriptomic analysis identified proteins up-regulated in NASH and/or advanced fibrosis (stage F3-F4), including matricellular glycoprotein thrombospondin-2 (TSP-2), encoded by the thrombospondin 2 (THBS2) gene. The intrahepatic THBS2 expression level showed the highest areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) of 0.915 and 0.957 for diagnosing NASH and advanced fibrosis, respectively. THBS2 positively correlated with inflammation and ballooning according to NAFLD activity score, serum aspartate aminotransferase and hyaluronic acid (HA) levels, and NAFLD Fibrosis Score (NFS). THBS2 was associated with extracellular matrix and collagen biosynthesis, platelet activation, caspase-mediated cleavage of cytoskeletal proteins, and immune cell infiltration. Serum TSP-2 expression was measured in 213 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD, was significantly higher in NASH than in NAFL, and increased parallel to fibrosis stage. The AUROCs for predicting NASH and advanced fibrosis were 0.776 and 0.856, respectively, which were comparable to Fibrosis-4 index, serum HA level, and NFS in advanced fibrosis diagnosis. Serum TSP-2 level and platelet count were independent predictors of NASH and advanced fibrosis. Serum TSP-2 levels could stratify patients with NAFLD according to the risk of hepatic complications, including liver cancer and decompensated cirrhotic events.
conclusionsTSP-2 may be a useful biomarker for NASH and advanced fibrosis diagnosis in patients with NAFLD.
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Registered trials
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 OpenQuestion graph.