New Blood Test Can Detect Liver Scarring Before Severe Symptoms Set In

A liver scarring diagnosis test had been developed by Newcastle scientists and medics. The test uses a new type of genetic blood analysis which could be administered even before someone falls ill.

It was the first instance of an epigenetic blood signature which showed symptoms of the fibrosis severity for individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Liver scarring is a common symptom of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease which is the effect of being overweight or having diabetes. The disease affects one in three people in the UK and may result in cirrhosis and liver failure which will require immediate transplant.

With an article in the academic publication Gut, the Newcastle team noted that the proof of their principal research was that they measure certain epigenetic markers to classify nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients into mild or severe liver scarring, also called fibrosis.

Dr. Quentin Anstee, Newcastle Hospitals consultant hepatologist, Newcastle University clinical senior lecturer and joint senior author, stated that the scientific breakthrough showed great promise because most of the patients showed no symptoms, according to a feature from Chronicle Live.

Routine blood tests could not detect liver scarring and even more modern non-invasive tests could only detect late stage scarring. Most had to rely on liver biopsy to gauge fibrosis at its earlier stages. This was done by examining a liver piece under the microscope. The presence of mild liver fibrosis predicted a worse later outcome for individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and it was essential to be able to recognize scarring of the liver at an early stage.

The liver scarring research was developed by the team in its first stages through blood analysis in 26 patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The test recognized chemical changes within tiny portions of cell-free DNA that were released into the bloodstream when liver cells were injured, according to a feature from Science Daily.