At the same time, the VAT macrophage number was positively associated with fasting glucose, insulin, TG, liver transaminases, and histopathological components of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) including steatosis and fibroinflammatory lesions, and negatively associated with HDL-cholesterol and a marker of insulin sensitivity, QUICKI. Here, INS is linked to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.