Protein fingerprint may forecast liver cancer 15 years early

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Common inclusion criteria for all patients: * Age \>18 years * Patients who underwent a liver biopsy confirming the diagnosis of MASH, defined by standard histological criteria: presence of macrovesicular steatosis in \>5% of hepatocytes (graded 1, 2, or 3 according to the NAS score), lobular inflammation (graded 1, 2, or 3), and hepatocellular ballooning (graded 1 or 2), with a total NAS score \>5, as defined by Kleiner et al. * No documented opposition (during life, for deceased patients) to the reuse of their data and biological samples. Specific follow-up criteria for Group 1 (patients who developed HCC during MASH follow-up): * HCC diagnosed by imaging (CT or MRI according to LI-RADS diagnostic criteria from the American College of Radiology) or by histopathology (biopsy or surgical resection) between 1 and 15 years after the liver biopsy. * At least one imaging exam (ultrasound, CT, or MRI) confirming the absence of any suspicious nodule at least 1 year after the liver biopsy and prior to the diagnosis of HCC. Specific follow-up criteria for Group 2 (control patients who did not develop HCC during MASH follow-up): * Follow-up duration of more than 5 years after the liver biopsy. * At least one imaging exam (ultrasound, CT, or MRI) confirming the absence of any suspicious nodule at the date of last follow-up. Exclusion criteria: * Excessive alcohol consumption, as defined by international guidelines: more than 20 g of alcohol per day for women and more than 30 g per day for men, based on patient interview data or an AUDIT score \>8. * Other causes of chronic liver disease (viral, autoimmune, genetic, or drug-induced hepatitis), identified through biological analyses (viral serologies, autoimmune hepatitis antibody titers, genetic testing), histological features (suggestive lesions), or clinical history (medication use, family history). * Patients under legal protection (e.g., legal guardianship or judicial protection)