Blood test can detect deadly liver diseases much earlier

Better diagnosis of liver fibrosis can save lives

British scientists have now been able to develop a blood test that can diagnose liver disease ten years before the outbreak. The new development could significantly improve the treatment of liver disease.

Researchers at University College London and the University of Massachusetts have found in their current research that a simple and inexpensive blood test can detect liver problems years before the first symptoms. The physicians published the results of their study in the English language journal "Advanced Materials".

A novel blood test could lead to the early diagnosis of liver disease in the future. (Image: Robert Kneschke - fotolia)

Blood test can quickly detect liver fibrosis

A quick blood test for liver fibrosis, which can diagnose the disease ten years before the onset of symptoms, has now been presented by the scientists. The test can be performed in doctors' offices and the results of the examination are already fixed in 30 minutes. The new test will cost less than 60 euros (50 British pounds) and will be able to diagnose the disease ten or even 20 years earlier, say the experts. There is hope that this test will be available within the next five to ten years, the researchers add.

The mortality rate due to liver diseases is increasing

Liver disease is the fifth leading cause of death in the UK and one of the few diseases where the mortality rate is still rising. The figures show that in 2014 a total of 11,600 people died of liver disease. This represents an increase of 25 percent since 2001, explain the British scientists.

Diagnosis often comes too late

Most cases are caused by being overweight or consuming too much alcohol. Symptoms appear late, so many sufferers will not be diagnosed with such disease until the disease is well advanced.

Liver fibrosis can be fatal

The new method for detecting liver fibrosis can be performed by a simple blood test in 30 to 45 minutes. The so-called liver fibrosis is considered the first stage of scarring of the liver, which leads to a fatal liver disease if it can develop uncontrollably.

How does the new test work??

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts have developed a sensor that uses fluorescent molecules coated with large molecules (called polymers), which bind to blood proteins due to their chemical properties. The test could provide a cost-effective, regular screening program, says study author Professor William Rosenberg of University College London. These fluorescent dyes change their brightness and color, resulting in a different fluorescence pattern, depending on the protein composition of the blood sample, the researchers explain. The sensor has already been tested by comparing the results of small blood samples from 65 people in three groups of healthy patients and patients with early and late fibrosis.

What is an ELF test??

The groups were determined with the help of the so-called ELF (Enhanced Liver Fibrosis) test, the existing test for the detection of liver fibrosis, in which samples must be sent to a laboratory for analysis. The researchers found that the sensor was able to identify different patterns of protein levels in the blood serum of humans in the three groups.

Will the test be available to the family doctor in the future??

Professor William Rosenberg explains: Liver disease is the third most common cause of premature mortality in the UK and one of the few major causes of death that continues to increase. It is to be hoped that the novel test can be routinely used in general practices and hospital clinics to examine people who are at an increased risk for liver disease but have no signs of liver damage, the expert adds. So, people with severe fibrosis could be identified. Those affected can then be treated before it is already too late and they may die as a result of the disease. (As)