Usefulness of M2BPGi and autotaxin as non-invasive biomarkers to estimate chronic liver disease status

Aim:
This study investigated the usefulness of M2BPGi and autotaxin as biomarkers to estimate chronic liver disease (CLD) status.
Methods:
A total of 1015 cases of CLD (median age: 57 years; 45% male), all of which receiving liver biopsy for histological assessment (hepatitis C [CHC], hepatitis B [CHB], primary biliary cholangitis [PBC], non-alcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD]: 584, 101, 128, 202 cases), and 160 healthy subjects (HS) (50% male) were enrolled for comparisons of M2BPGi, autotaxin, and other clinical indices.
Results:
M2BPGi (CLD vs. HS: 1.03 vs. 0.40 COI; P<0.001) and autotaxin (1.13 vs. 0.76 mg/L; P<0.001) were significantly higher for CLD. ATX exhibited a gender difference (male vs. female: 1.00 vs. 1.32 mg/L; P<0.001). M2BPGi (CHC, CHB, PBC, NAFLD: 1.25, 0.98, 0.82, 0.80 COI; P<0.001) and autotaxin (1.39, 1.22, 0.97, 0.86 mg/L; P<0.001) were significantly higher for viral hepatitis. M2BPGi (r=0.56, 0.34, 0.81, 0.50; P<0.001) and autotaxin (r=0.72, 0.46, 0.43, 0.45; P<0.001) were significantly correlated with histological liver fibrosis stage as well as FIB-4 and APRI scores. M2BPGi and autotaxin significantly decreased in CHC patients achieving an SVR (both P<0.001). M2BPGi ≥2.0 COI at PBC diagnosis was an independent predictor of disease-related death while autotaxin increase rate ≥0.05 mg/L/year was significantly associated with disease-related death.
Conclusions:
M2BPGi and autotaxin are good surrogate markers for estimating CLD status  considering differences among liver diseases during evaluations.