Evaluation of Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) as a diagnostic marker for staging liver fibrosis: a meta-analysis

Objective This study aimed to assess the accuracy of Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) in predicting the stage of liver fibrosis. Methods Articles published until October 10, 2023, were searched in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), summary receiver–operator curves (SROC), and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used to examine the accuracy of M2BPGi in predicting the stage of liver fibrosis. A 95% confidence interval (CI) was provided for each estimate. Results Twenty-four studies were included in this meta-analysis, including 3,839 patients with liver fibrosis, 409 of whom progressed to stage 4 or above. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under the ROC (AUC) for M2BPGi predicting liver fibrosis ≥F3 were 0.74 (95% CI [0.65–0.82]), 0.84 (95% CI [0.76–0.89]), and 14.99 (95% CI [9.28–24.21]), respectively. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC for ≥F4 were 0.80 (95% CI [0.70–0.88]), 0.80 (95% CI [0.73–0.86]), and 16.43 (95% CI [0.84–0.90]), respectively. Conclusion Among different sample partitions, M2BPGi has the best diagnostic performance for liver fibrosis stage ≥4. Furthermore, the cutoff of 1–2 is more accurate than that of 0–1 or 2–3 for fibrosis ≥ F3 and ≥ F4. Registration CRD42023483260.