이지민 (서울대학교 식품대사체학 연구실)

석기태 (한림대학교 소화기연구소)

이도엽 (서울대학교 식품대사체학 연구실)

이지민 (서울대학교 식품대사체학 연구실)

박영재 (서울대학교 식품대사체학 연구실)

박현준 (한림대학교 소화기연구소)

석기태 (한림대학교 소화기연구소)

이도엽 (서울대학교 식품대사체학 연구실)

Liver cirrhosis is a disease characterized by the formation of regenerative nodules and fibrosis in hepatic tissue, resulting from chronic liver damage. While it can develop from various causes, such as viral hepatitis or metabolic liver diseases, chronic alcohol consumption remains one of the most common and distinctive etiologies. In particular, alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) leads to cirrhosis through mechanisms involving oxidative stress, inflammation, and hepatocellular injury induced by alcohol-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Diagnosis typically involves physical examination, liver function tests, abdominal ultrasonography, and CT imaging, with liver biopsy performed for confirmation. However, these methods can be invasive and may have limitations in early detection. In this study, we aimed to explore liver cirrhosis from a metabolomics perspective to identify novel diagnostic markers. Blood samples were collected from healthy individuals, patients with alcohol-related compensated cirrhosis, and those with decompensated cirrhosis. LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics analysis revealed metabolites showing changes depending on disease presence and progression. Based on these findings, we proposed potential biomarkers for distinguishing disease stages and facilitating early diagnosis. This study highlights the potential of metabolomics as a non-invasive approach for biomarker discovery in liver cirrhosis.