Approximately 50% of the top 20 inflammation-associated proteins are cytoskeletal proteins, potentially indicating cellular structural changes in the inflamed liver (Fig. 2d), while the lipid droplet protein PLIN2 and fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4), an adipokine previously identified as a predictive marker for progression from simple steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in patients with NAFLD47, had the first and 16th highest correlation coefficients, respectively, to hepatic steatosis. Here, PLIN2 is linked to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.