A novel gene signature to diagnose MASLD in metabolically unhealthy obese individuals

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) contributes to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), releasing lipogenic substrates and cytokines which promote inflammation. Metabolic healthy obese individuals (MHO) may shift towardsunhealthy ones (MUHO) who develop MASLD, although the mechanisms are still unexplained. Therefore, we aimed to identify dysfunctional pathways and transcriptomic signatures shared by liver and VAT and to outline novel obesity-related biomarkers which feature MASLD in MUHO subjects, at higher risk of progressive liver disease and extrahepatic comorbidities. We performed RNA-sequencing in 167 hepatic samples and in a subset of 79 matched VAT, stratified in MHO and MUHO. A validation analysis was performed in hepatic samples and primary adipocytes from 12 bariatric patients, by qRT-PCR and western blot. We identified a transcriptomic signature that discriminate MUHO vs MHO, including 498 deregulated genes in liver and 189 in VAT. According to pathway and network analyses, oxidative phosphorylation resulted the only significantly downregulated pathway in both tissues in MUHO subjects. Next, we highlighted 5 genes commonly deregulated in liver and VAT, encompassing C6, IGF1, OXA1L, NDUFB11 and KLHL5 and we built a tissue-related score by integrating their expressions. Accordingly to RNAseq data, serum levels of C6 and IGF1, which are the only secreted proteins among those included in the gene signature were downregulated in MUHO vs MHO. Finally, the expression pattern of this 5-genes was confirmed in hepatic and VAT samples. We firstly identified the liver and VAT transcriptional phenotype of MUHO and a gene signature associated with the presence of MASLD in these at risk individuals.