It is not uncommon for patients with liver damage to be confronted with the severity of their liver scarring a bit too late, in its various stages. Many patients with hepatitis B or hepatitis C suffer from liver fibrosis — namely, the scarring of the liver due to damages that show no symptoms. This condition may lead to the more chronic type of liver cirrhosis that often results in liver failure. Thus, there’s the need to identify the presence of “the silent killer” as early as possible.

For years now, the METAVIR scoring system has been commonly used to evaluate the “activity grade” or the degree of inflammation in the liver and the “fibrosis stage” or severity of the scarring in the liver. While effective, the METAVIR scoring system is a histopathological (microscopic) evaluation in a liver biopsy, which requires a longer process.

Thanks to modern medical technology, a new, quicker test is now possible. Vincent Rotello, Ph.D., professor of chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and his colleagues from the University College London have developed a “quick and robust” blood test for detecting liver damage. According to the researchers, this new method can detect the first stage of liver scarring within 30-45 minutes. Dr. Rotello and his team developed a sensor that binds with blood proteins. The sensor is made from polymers coated with fluorescent dyes that change color and brightness depending on different protein-level patterns of the blood. These changes identify a ‘fingerprint’ of liver damage, thus detecting early stages of liver fibrosis.

Is this blood test expensive? Dr. Rotello emphasized that this approach is not only quick and simple, but it is also inexpensive. His team hopes that this test be routinely used in clinics and hospitals so that people at risk of liver disease can be screened and treated effectively, “before it’s too late.” ADRLF is excited to share this info with you — please do the same with others in your world!

To learn more about this new test, read here

To understand the symptoms of liver cirrhosis, click here