title: [Reversibility of advanced liver fibrosis--therapeutic possibility and biochemical monitoring of the disease].
abstract: The advanced liver fibrosis and cirrhosis had been regarded irreversible until quite lately. However, experimental and clinical studies confirmed possibility of stopping or even decreasing the stage of liver fibrosis through causal factor elimination and application of pharmacological preparation of potential antifibrotic activity. The morphological examination of liver bioptate is a "gold standard" in assessment of liver fibrosis stage. However it is an invasive procedure and has several limitation such as "sampling error". Therefore several biochemical blood tests for liver fibrosis have been evaluated which are less invasive and give possibility of long-term monitoring of the course of disease and possible changes caused by treatment. The non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis include extracellular matrix components (ECM) as well as non-ECM biochemical panels (FibroTest, Forns index, APRI). Significant progress in diagnostics and treatment confirmed the reversibility of liver fibrosis. However, reversibility of cirrhosis still becomes controversial. Further investigations of antifibrotic drugs and settlement of proper biochemical blood panel for better monitoring of possible disease regression are needed.
authors.affiliation: III Klinika Chorób Dzieci Akademii Medycznej w Białymstoku. DariuszMar.8810735@pharmanet.com.pl
authors.forename: Dariusz Marek
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lebensztejn
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins