Then, we further examined the protein levels of CDC42 in the liver tissues from NASH or non-NASH individuals, and CDC42 expression was found to be significantly upregulated in the NASH group, suggesting that LAPTM5 and CDC42 were negatively correlated (Fig. 6m), and a NASH-regulating axis existed between LAPTM5 and CDC42. This evidence concerns the gene LAPTM5 and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.