Valoración de la enfermedad por hígado graso no alcohólico desde el laboratorio clínico

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) affects approximately 20% to 30% of the general population, and its clinical relevance is due to the fact that a percentage of these subjects develop non-alcoholic steatohepatitis that can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Currently the liver biopsy is the reference standard for the diagnosis and stratification of NAFLD, but the risks and limitations associated with this procedure, together with the high and increasing prevalence of NAFLD, have triggered an intensive search for alternative non-invasive methods for the evaluation of this disease. Among these methods are the laboratory biomarkers, which have become a promising option due to their non-invasive nature and reproducibility in their measurement. This review aims to present current knowledge on the role of biomarkers in the management of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.