Biologie et cirrhose

Liver biopsy is still the “gold standard” for assessing cirrhosis but it is invasive, not exempt of risk and with limitations. Several biochemical indicators have been discussed as an non invasive alternative to liver biopsy. For early detection of cirrhosis, serum hyaluronic acid is the most accurate among extracellular matrix markers and the Fibrotest®, a combination of basic serum biochemical tests, can be recommended in patients with hepatitis C. Child-pugh score, calculated with clinical criteria and biochemical tests, is largely used to evaluate the severity of cirrhosis and estimate the pronostic. Quantitative tests evaluating the functional liver mass improve the biological monitoring cirrhosis and the patient selection for liver transplantation, which is the only available treatment for end-stage cirrhosis.