A Repeat Test for Liver Cirrhosis

Fat accumulation in the liver can lead to cirrhosis or cancer. Symptoms of liver cirrhosis occur at a late stage when the chance of treatment is low – and, although blood tests can measure liver damage, cirrhosis risk prediction remains a challenge. New research has shown that repeated use of the fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4), a score that evaluates the degree of fibrosis, could better predict whether a patient will develop cirrhosis.

The team surveyed data from between 1985 and 1996, which included the FIB-4 scores of over 40,000 people in Sweden. After reviewing national registers to identify those who developed cirrhosis, they found that risk increases in people whose FIB-4 score rises between two testing occasions – and that risk decreases again when it falls. Almost half of those who developed cirrhosis were spotted retrospectively using FIB-4 scores – and future research may improve our ability to detect potential cirrhosis patients.

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References

1. H Hagström et al., J Hepatol, [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 32621944.

About the Author(s)

Luke Turner

While completing my undergraduate degree in Biology, I soon discovered that my passion and strength was for writing about science rather than working in the lab. My master’s degree in Science Communication allowed me to develop my science writing skills and I was lucky enough to come to Texere Publishing straight from University. Here I am given the opportunity to write about cutting edge research and engage with leading scientists, while also being part of a fantastic team!

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