Hori T. Impact of alcohol-associated and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver diseases upon hepatic disorder and carcinogenesis in the current era. World J Hepatol 2025; 17(11): 112359 [DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i11.112359]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Tomohide Hori, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Yokkaichi Hadu Medical Center, 10-8 Haduyama-cho, Yokkaichi 510-0016, Mie, Japan. tomohidehori@yahoo.co.jp
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Gastroenterology & Hepatology
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Editorial
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Nov 27, 2025 (publication date) through Dec 4, 2025
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Publication Name
World Journal of Hepatology
ISSN
1948-5182
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Hori T. Impact of alcohol-associated and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver diseases upon hepatic disorder and carcinogenesis in the current era. World J Hepatol 2025; 17(11): 112359 [DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i11.112359]
World J Hepatol. Nov 27, 2025; 17(11): 112359 Published online Nov 27, 2025. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i11.112359
Impact of alcohol-associated and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver diseases upon hepatic disorder and carcinogenesis in the current era
Tomohide Hori
Tomohide Hori, Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Yokkaichi Hadu Medical Center, Yokkaichi 510-0016, Mie, Japan
Author contributions: Hori T designed the overall concept and outline of the manuscript, wrote and edited the manuscript, and reviewed the relevant literatures.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author declare that has no conflict of interest.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Tomohide Hori, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Yokkaichi Hadu Medical Center, 10-8 Haduyama-cho, Yokkaichi 510-0016, Mie, Japan. tomohidehori@yahoo.co.jp
Received: July 24, 2025 Revised: August 18, 2025 Accepted: November 4, 2025 Published online: November 27, 2025 Processing time: 126 Days and 0.2 Hours
Abstract
In this editorial, author specifically focuses upon metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and alcohol-associated liver diseases (ALD) in the current era. This editorial article is inspired by the observational study by Harris et al in the recent issue. Alcohol and metabolic dysfunction cause steatotic changes in the hepatic parenchyma. The ALD and MASLD are major cause of chronic liver disease. Liver cirrhosis (LC) is a result of chronic liver inflammation with many causes (e.g., viral hepatitis, drug, alcohol and metabolic disorder). Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and alcohol-associated hepatitis can lead to liver fibrosis and LC. LC leads to hepatic dysfunction and can progress to eventual liver failure and death. Though chronic viral hepatitis is considered a main cause of LC for a long time, other etiologies (i.e., ALD, MASLD) has significantly increased in the current era. From the viewpoint of carcinogenesis, LC frequently causes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and HCC is the most common type of primary liver cancer worldwide. As regards major causes of HCC, chronic viral hepatitis is gradually outweighed by ALD and MASLD. Note that patients coexisting with ALD and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis show higher occurrence of HCC. Impact of ALD and MASLD upon the development of chronic liver disease, liver fibrosis, LC, and HCC is drastically increased in the current era. Establishments of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to overcome these hepatic disorders are still required.
Core Tip: Alcohol and metabolic dysfunction cause steatotic changes in the hepatic parenchyma, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and alcohol-associated liver diseases (ALD) are currently recognized as main steatotic liver disease. The ALD and MASLD result in chronic liver disease, liver fibrosis and subsequent cirrhosis. Patients accompanied with ALD and/or MASLD are currently increasing worldwide, and therefore, this editorial focuses an impact of ALD and MASLD upon hepatic disorder and carcinogenesis. From the viewpoint of carcinogenesis (i.e., hepatocellular carcinoma), chronic viral hepatitis is gradually outweighed by ALD and MASLD. Also, this editorial article mentions differences in gender and geographical region, and touches upon clinical implication for these important liver diseases.
