A recent study evaluated the performance of noninvasive tests (NITs) for detecting significant fibrosis in Hispanic patients with metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The study enrolled 244 adults with biopsy-proven MASLD, of which 31% were Hispanic. The diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) and vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) was significantly lower in Hispanic participants compared to non-Hispanic individuals, with Hispanic patients showing higher rates of significant fibrosis. The study found that current cut-points for these tests, which were developed for predominantly non-Hispanic populations, had lower sensitivity for Hispanic individuals.

To optimize the detection of significant fibrosis in Hispanic populations, the study recommended lower cut-points: 2.73 kPa for MRE and 6.9 kPa for VCTE. The study also revealed that existing clinical algorithms had high false-negative rates among Hispanic patients, with a significant number of individuals misclassified as low-risk, despite having advanced fibrosis on biopsy. The findings suggest that adjusting these cut-points could improve surveillance and diagnosis in Hispanic patients, who bear a higher burden of MASLD and its complications.

Reference: Tincopa MA, Díaz LA, Huang DQ, et al. Disparities in screening and risk stratification for hispanic adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Hepatology. 2024 Oct 18. doi: 10.1097/HEP.0000000000001121. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39423341.