Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41026784›Full record

Observational studyPloS one2025

Evaluating liver type fatty acid binding protein as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in pediatric patients.

Nadia Al Mazrouei, Mostafa Mohsen ElGharbawy, Mahitab Gamal, Shaimaa Emad, Amal Ahmed Mohamed, Osama Mohamed Ibrahim, Asim Ahmed Elnour, Marafi Jammaa Ahmed, Semira Abdi Beshir, Vineetha Menon and 3 more

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. MASLD In Children - A Distinct Phenotype?Current obesity reports · 2026
    Review
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

13 authors.

Nadia Al MazroueiPharmacy Practice and Pharmacotherapeutics department, University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Mostafa Mohsen ElGharbawyClinical Pharmacy department, New Giza University, Egypt.
Mahitab GamalPharmacology department, New Giza University, Egypt.
Shaimaa EmadFellow of pediatric Hepatology, National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt.
Amal Ahmed MohamedBiochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt.
Osama Mohamed IbrahimClinical Pharmacy department, New Giza University.
Asim Ahmed ElnourProgram of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi campus, Abu Dhabi-United Arab Emirates (UAE). AAU Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Marafi Jammaa AhmedFaculty of Medicine, Bahri University, Khartoum, Sudan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5032-8627
Semira Abdi BeshirDepartment of clinical pharmacy and Pharmacotherapeutics, Dubai Pharmacy College for Girls, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Vineetha MenonAssistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Sami Fatehi AbdallaDepartment of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Almaarefa University, Daryiyah, Saudi Arabia.
Ali Awadallah SaeedDepartment of Pharmacology, Faculty of Clinical and Industrial Pharmacy, National University-Sudan, Mycetoma Research Center, Khartoum, Sudan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3524-4825
Heba Ali ElRamlyClinical Pharmacy Department, New Giza University, Egypt.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is a common liver disorder, predicted to increase globally. Currently, non-invasive methods are proposed for the assessment of (MASLD). This study aimed to investigate the use of serum Liver Type Fatty Acid Binding Protein (L-FABP) concentration as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in pediatric MASLD patients and to evaluate its relationship with steatosis and fibrosis.

methodsAn observational, cross-sectional study on paediatric MASLD patients. Serum levels of L-FABP and hepatic biochemical markers were measured and analyzed. Statistical analyses evaluated the association between L-FABP and other markers, while logistic regression and ROC curves assessed its diagnostic accuracy.

resultsSerum L-FABP levels showed a significant difference between the MASLD and control groups (P < 0.0001). The results of logistic regression revealed that each one-unit elevation of L-FABP level was associated with 144.5% higher odds of being MASLD (95% CI: 129.3% - 167.8%). A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was constructed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of L-FABP. The resulted area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.885. The cutoff value was 5.7 ng/ mL, with sensitivity of 72.73%, and a specificity of 93.62%. The results also showed that the odds ratio of progressing from stage F2 to F3 increases by 108.9% (95% CI: 87.2% - 141.4%) for each one-unit increase in serum L-FABP level.

conclusionL-FABP shows promise as a non-invasive biomarker for diagnosing and monitoring MASLD in pediatric patients. Its association with disease stages suggests its utility in assessing disease progression, particularly in advanced stages.

Indexed as

Fatty Acid-Binding ProteinsFatty LiverAdolescentBiomarkersChildChild, PreschoolCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansInfantMalePrognosisROC CurveBiomarkersFatty Acid-Binding Proteins

Identifiers

PMID41026784
PMCPMC12483236

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Registered trials

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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.