Advances in Laboratory Diagnostics Podcast 2 – Non-Invasive Assessment of Liver Fibrosis

Second podcast interview now available on the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis

In the second instalment of our podcast series on Advances in Laboratory Diagnostics, Clinical Diagnostics Editor, Sonia Nicholas, interviews Dr Navasa from the Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Spain. Dr Navasa and his team have been working on a partnership with Siemens Healthcare to use advanced laboratory and imaging technology to improve patient care management.

Liver fibrosis is the scarring process that represents the liver’s response to injury. Skin and other organs of the body heal wounds through the deposition of collagen and other matrix constituents. The liver also repairs injury in this manner, through collagen deposition. Over time, this process can result in cirrhosis of the liver, in which the architectural organization of the functional units of the liver becomes so damaged that blood flow through the liver, and liver function become disrupted. Once cirrhosis has developed, serious complications can occur such as portal hypertension, liver failure and liver cancer. The risk of liver cancer is greatly increased once cirrhosis develops.

Dr Navasa and his team have been using the Siemens ADVIA Centaur® Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELFTM) Test, in conjunction with advanced imaging techniques for the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis. The recent introduction of these advanced tools is enabling physicians to more closely monitor disease progression, and adjust treatment strategies accordingly.

The ELF™ Test* is a simple, accurate, minimally-invasive blood test for measuring liver damage (known as fibrosis). It offers a quick straightforward method of providing valuable information:

 Minimal or no patient discomfort
 Identifies significant liver disease

Because the ELF test uses a blood sample rather than a biopsy, it can be used routinely for the same patient over time. The test combines three serum biomarkers, hyaluronic acid (HA), procollagen III amino terminal peptide (PIIINP), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1), which have been shown to correlate to the level of liver fibrosis assessed by liver biopsy.

The algorithm measures each of these markers by immunoassay, to create an ELF score. Sampling for the ELF test can be performed in a physician’s office or health center.

To listen to the podcast interview with Dr Navasa, please click here.