Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39836348›Full record

ArticleHepatology international2025

Non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway activated NFATC3 promotes GDF15 expression in MASH: prospective analyses of UK biobank proteomic data.

Hao Wang, Xiaoqian Xu, Lichen Shi, Cheng Huang, Yameng Sun, Hong You, Jidong Jia, You-Wen He, Yuanyuan Kong

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Article in Hepatology international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Hao WangNational Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, State Key Lab of Digestive Health, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Xiaoqian XuNational Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, State Key Lab of Digestive Health, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Lichen ShiNational Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, State Key Lab of Digestive Health, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Cheng HuangNational Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, State Key Lab of Digestive Health, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Yameng SunNational Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, State Key Lab of Digestive Health, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Hong YouNational Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, State Key Lab of Digestive Health, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Jidong JiaNational Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, State Key Lab of Digestive Health, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
You-Wen HeDepartment of Integrative Immunobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
Yuanyuan KongNational Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, State Key Lab of Digestive Health, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. kongyy@ccmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2586-1443

Funding

Digestive Medical Coordinated Development Center of Beijing Hospitals Authority PX2024003High-level Public Health Technical Talents of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, China XUEKEGUGAN-010-018Key Technologies Research and Development Program 2023YFC2306900Key Technologies Research and Development Program 2023YFC2306902Research Grant of Capital Medical University PYZ21051Research Grant of Capital Medical University PYZ23073
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOur previous research demonstrated that growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) exhibited superior predictive capability for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) development with an AUC of 0.86 at 10 years before disease diagnosis. However, the specific pathways and molecular mechanisms associated with GDF15 expression during MASH development remain to be fully investigated in humans.

methodsA nested case-control study comprising a MASH group of 78 individuals and three age- and sex-matched control groups (156 metabolic dysfunction-associated steatosis, 78 viral hepatitis, and 156 normal liver controls) was conducted. The baseline levels of GDF15-related transcription factors and upstream signaling pathways associated with the identified transcription factors were analysed prospectively.

resultsThe significantly higher level of nuclear factor of activated T cells 3 (NFATC3), a transcription factor for GDF15, was identified in the circulation in MASH patients compared to controls. Expression of the non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway that is upstream of NFATC3, and its related proteins CTHRC1, FRZB, SFRP1, and SFRP4, were highest in the MASH group, suggesting a non-canonical Wnt signaling/NFATC3/GDF-15 cascade in MASH disease pathogenesis. A predictive model for MASH development based on four biomarkers (CTHRC1, FRZB, NFATC3, and GDF15) showed an AUC of 0.90 at 10 years. A protein-clinical model that included these four circulating proteins and BMI yielded an AUC of 0.93 at 10 years.

conclusionsNon-canonical Wnt signaling pathway may activate NFATC3 to promote GDF15 expression in MASH disease pathogenesis. These molecular mechanisms provide novel insights for developing targeted therapies that could modulate the non-canonical Wnt/NFATC3/GDF15 cascade to prevent/treat MASH.

Indexed as

Growth Differentiation Factor 15NFATC Transcription FactorsWnt Signaling PathwayAdultBiological Specimen BanksCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesProteomicsUK BiobankGDF15 protein, humanGrowth Differentiation Factor 15NFATC Transcription FactorsMetabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitisMetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver diseaseNon-canonical Wnt signalingNuclear factor of activated T cells 3Predictive biomarkers

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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.