Blood Test to Enable Earlier and Simpler Detection of Liver Fibrosis

Persistent liver damage caused by alcohol misuse or viral infections can trigger liver fibrosis, a condition in which healthy tissue is gradually replaced by collagen fibers. Even after successful treatment of chronic hepatitis C, fibrosis may continue to progress silently. As the condition advances, it can lead to cirrhosis and significantly increase the risk of liver cancer, highlighting the urgent need for early and reliable diagnostic markers. Now, researchers have found that a protein involved in elastic fiber formation could act as an early warning sign of liver damage

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University (Osaka, Japan) investigated whether plasma fibulin-5 (FBLN5), a protein involved in elastic fiber formation, could serve as an indicator of liver fibrosis. The team focused on hepatic stellate cells, which are known to drive fibrotic changes in the liver, and analyzed biopsy samples from patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Image: FBLN5 detection in human hepatic stellate cells could act as an early warning sign of liver damage (Photo courtesy of Osaka Metropolitan University)

Laboratory experiments showed that activated hepatic stellate cells produce FBLN5, directly linking the protein to the fibrotic process. In patient analyses, immunohistochemistry revealed FBLN5 expression in 72 out of 90 liver tissue samples, while 67 patients also showed detectable levels of FBLN5 in peripheral blood, supporting its potential as a circulating biomarker.

Importantly, FBLN5 levels increased as liver fibrosis progressed, suggesting that the protein reflects disease severity. The findings, published in Gastro Hep Advances, indicate that FBLN5 may predict fibrosis more accurately than the commonly used type IV collagen test. This positions FBLN5 as a promising marker not only for fibrosis progression but also for identifying patients at elevated risk of developing liver cancer.

The researchers believe that a simple blood-based test could eventually allow clinicians to detect fibrosis earlier and monitor patients more effectively over time. Earlier diagnosis could enable timely interventions before irreversible liver damage or cancer develops. Future work will focus on improving detection sensitivity and validating the marker in larger patient cohorts.

“The FBLN5 detected in blood could serve as a marker for identifying the risk of early liver fibrosis and liver cancer in the future,” stated Professor Sato-Matsubara. “Moving forward, we plan to develop a method capable of detecting FBLN5 more accurately and proceed with testing using actual patient samples. Advancements in this research could enable earlier and simpler detection of liver fibrosis, potentially leading to earlier diagnosis and treatment of liver disease.”

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Osaka Metropolitan University