The systemic Immune Inflammation index is a reliable and novel risk factor for metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease

Background Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) can trigger inflammation, hepatocellular damage, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. There is a need for non-invasive, cost-effective diagnostic markers for MAFLD, as current methods like liver biopsy are invasive. This study investigates the potential of the systemic immune inflammation index (SII) as a useful tool in diagnosis of MAFLD.Methods A cohort of 806 individuals, including 426 with MAFLD and 380 controls, was analyzed. SII values, along with various biochemical and inflammatory markers, were compared between groups.Results The MAFLD group exhibited significantly higher SII values, which correlated with key markers of liver inflammation and function. Median SII levels of the MAFLD patients (581 (45-4553)) were significantly higher than that of the control group (423 (112-2595)) (p < 0.001). SII showed moderate sensitivity (72%) and specificity (56%) in detecting MAFLD. Logistic regression analysis identified SII as an independent risk factor for MAFLD, with a unit increase in SII increasing the risk by 1.21 times.Conclusions These findings suggest that SII could serve as a useful, noninvasive marker for diagnosing and monitoring MAFLD, warranting further longitudinal studies to explore its role in disease progression and treatment response.