Regression of hepatic fibrosis after pharmacological therapy for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

Table 2 Diagnostic techniques for liver fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Diagnostic technique	Method	Advantages	Limitations
Liver biopsy	Invasive procedure, histological assessment	Gold standard, provides detailed fibrosis staging	Invasive, sampling variability, associated risks
Vibration-controlled transient elastography	Ultrasound-based, measures liver stiffness	Non-invasive, widely used	Less accurate in obese patients, influenced by inflammation
MRE	MRI-based imaging, measures tissue stiffness	More accurate than Fibroscan for fibrosis and steatosis	High cost, limited availability
APRI	Blood-based, calculates fibrosis risk	Non-invasive, low cost	Lower sensitivity in early fibrosis
ELF test	Blood-based, measures biomarkers of fibrosis	High sensitivity and specificity for advanced fibrosis	Costly, limited access in some regions

APRI: Aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index; MRE: Magnetic resonance enterography; ELF: Enhanced liver fibrosis; MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.