After controlling for age, sex, AST, ALT, total bilirubin, systolic blood pressure, serum glucose and hsCRP levels (model 3), the significance of the association between plasma LECT2 levels and NAFLD persisted (P for linear trend = 0.028); the OR in the highest quartile of circulating LECT2 level for NAFLD was 2.38 (95% CI, 1.06–5.37) when compared to that of the lowest. Here, LECT2 is linked to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.