CD44 and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: Although according to the literature syndecan-1 is the major heparan sulfate proteoglycan of the healthy liver, all four members of the family have been reported in increased amounts in various chronic liver diseases, such as liver fibrosis, cirrhosis (4, 5), cholestasis (6), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (7), and cancer (8, 9).