MALAT1 and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis: MALAT1 expression levels were upregulated 1.73-fold in NAFLD versus healthy controls, 1.75-fold in NASH versus NAFL, 3.01-fold in ballooning degeneration, and 5-fold in fibrosis, which suggests that MALAT1 plays a significant role in triggering NAFLD and perpetuating the NASH phenotype.