Biomarker Panel for Liver Fibrosis Indicates Chronic Liver Disease

A fully automated, standardized direct biomarker panel offers clinicians a quick, reliable, minimally invasive blood test option to assess liver fibrosis–a leading indicator of chronic liver disease (CLD).

The Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) test is a simple, standardized blood test that assesses the severity of liver fibrosis by combining three direct serum biomarkers—hyaluronic acid (HA), procollagen III amino terminal peptide (PIIINP), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1)—in an algorithm. The result is an ELF score, which correlates to the level of liver fibrosis assessed by liver biopsy, the current standard of care for liver fibrosis diagnosis. The ELF test has been CE-marked for use on the ADVIA Centaur immunoassay systems. Results are available in 60 minutes.

The ELF test has been clinically validated on an Immuno-1 autoanalyzer in an international multicenter study with a mix of patient groups, including viral hepatitis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and alcoholic patient groups. Additionally, a 7-year follow-up study involving over 450 patients has shown that the ELF markers are at least comparable to liver histology at predicting clinical outcomes of CLD.

With the addition of its ELF test, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics (Tarrytown, NY, USA) offers an integrated portfolio of diagnostic solutions for managing liver health, which includes routine chemistry tests, hepatitis serology tests, viral load testing, and ultrasound systems.

"The discovery of the ELF markers represents a significant advance in the diagnosis of patients with liver disease," said William Rosenberg, MBBS, D. Phil, Peter Scheuer, chair in liver diseases, joint director of the Center for Hepatology University College London, (United Kingdom), said, "Of particular benefit, the ELF test can help to identify patients with mild-to-moderate liver fibrosis, which is usually asymptomatic, so that clinicians are able to intervene before significant damage to the liver occurs."

Related Links:
Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics
Center for Hepatology University College London
Siemens ELF Test