Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40686597›Full record

ArticleHepatology forum2025

Non-invasive tests for resmetirom treatment fail to accurately define the target population: Evidence from a biopsy-proven MASLD cohort.

Eda Kaya, Sinem Aksoy, Nazlican Oruc, Cagla Tasdemir, Beyza Irem Cengiz, Caglayan Keklikkiran, Yusuf Yilmaz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Hepatology forum, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Preexisting Liver Disease and Pregnancy: Optimizing Care to Optimize Outcomes.The Turkish journal of gastroenterology : the official journal of Turkish Society of Gastroenterology · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Eda KayaDepartment of Medicine, University Hospital Knappschaft Kliniken Bochum, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Sinem AksoySchool of Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize, Turkiye.
Nazlican OrucSchool of Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize, Turkiye.
Cagla TasdemirSchool of Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize, Turkiye.
Beyza Irem CengizSchool of Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize, Turkiye.
Caglayan KeklikkiranThe Global NASH Council, Washington DC, USA.
Yusuf YilmazThe Global NASH Council, Washington DC, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background and Aim: Resmetirom received conditional Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2024 for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) based on its promising liver-targeted therapy. Clinical trials required a histological diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) with F2-F3 fibrosis, excluding cirrhosis, while real-world prescribing relies on non-invasive tests (NITs). This study evaluates their efficacy in identifying the target population within a biopsy-proven Turkish MASLD cohort. Materials and Methods: We analyzed 266 patients with biopsy-proven MASLD from the Turkish NAFLD Biobank. Inclusion required AST >17 U/L (females) or >20 U/L (males), and CAP ≥280 dB/m. Eligibility was defined by liver stiffness measurement (LSM) of 10-19.9 kPa (excluding cirrhosis or low platelet count) or a FAST score ≥0.67. Results: Among the study population, 130 patients (48.9%) had histologically confirmed MASH with F2-F3 fibrosis. Based on LSM criteria applied to histologically eligible patients, 81 patients (62.3%) were underdiagnosed, compared to 95 patients (73.1%) when using the FAST score. Additionally, among patients who corresponded to NIT, 34 patients (41.0%) were overprescribed using LSM, while 23 patients (39.7%) were overprescribed using the FAST score. The kappa value as a measure of agreement showed poor compatibility for both LSM and FAST with liver biopsy (0.128 and 0.101, respectively). When treatment decisions were guided by either of the NITs, 44 patients (44.0%) received unnecessary prescriptions, and 74 patients (44.6%) had missed diagnoses. Conclusion: The NITs defined for identifying the target population for resmetirom demonstrated poor performance in accurately detecting or excluding eligible patients. Therefore, performing a liver biopsy before starting resmetirom treatment will prevent unnecessary increases in cost and significantly reduce the economic burden of the treatment. Keywords: Fibrosis; MASLD; MASH; non-invasive test; resmetirom.

Identifiers

PMID40686597
PMCPMC12268769

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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.