Background The severity of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) reportedly plays a part in the etiology of colorectal tumors. However, there is no consensus. Methods Studies relevant with the impact of MAFLD severity on the risk of colorectal neoplasms published before 24th April 2022 were screened. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) was obtained using standard and cumulative meta-analyses. Subgroup, meta-regression, and sensitivity analyses were carried out to identify heterogeneity. Results Fourteen studies with data from 37,824 MAFLD patients were included. The prevalence of colorectal neoplasms escalated with the progression of MAFLD compared to simple steatosis (OR = 1.93; 95% CI = 1.42–2.62). The magnitude and direction of the effect on these outcomes remained largely constant over time. Even after limiting the meta-analysis to 8 studies with available adjusted OR (aOR), the findings still suggested that MAFLD severity was positively related to colorectal neoplasms (aOR = 3.03; 95% CI = 2.02–4.53). Severe MAFLD was more likely to cause left colon tumors (OR = 3.86, 95% CI = 2.16–6.91) than right colon neoplasms (OR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.15–3.28). Conclusion The severity of MAFLD was independently related to colorectal neoplasms and severe MAFLD was more likely to cause left colon tumors.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a very common malignancy with a poor prognosis, and its occurrence and development are closely related to epigenetic modifications. Methylation of DNA before or during gastric cancer is an interesting research topic. This article reviews the studies on DNA methylation related to the cause, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of gastric cancer and aims to find cancer biomarkers to solve major human health problems.

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The impact of the gut microbiota is not limited to the intestine, but its interaction with the host produces active metabolites, which can be transported by the blood circulation to play important roles in various parts of the body. Among them, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), as important active products of gut bacteria, have been shown to exert anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects and can play active roles as signaling molecules in the development of various intestinal and extraintestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, allergic airway disease, obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. In this way, modulation of the intestinal microbiota and metabolism-active substances has gradually become a popular therapeutic method for many diseases of organs beyond the gut. To find new therapeutic targets for major human health problems, this article reviews the research on SCFAs in extraintestinal diseases.