Furthermore, the prevalence of liver disease in Australia is expected to increase 30 per cent by 2030, in direct association with the increasing rise in obesity and diabetes.
Until now, doctors haven’t been able to accurately tell their patients whether they are at risk of developing rapid liver fibrosis – an accumulation of tough, fibrous scar tissue present in chronic liver disease – which can lead to cirrhosis, internal bleeding, and cancer.
But thanks to a team of researchers from The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, doctors can now access to a tool which accurately predicts liver fibrosis, paving the way for early identification and targeted treatments.
In a world-first last year, an international research group led by researchers from the Institute’s Storr Liver Centre identified a genetic predictor - interferon lamba 3 – which could determine whether patients have a risk of rapid liver scarring.
The research, published in Nature Communications, was conducted among a large cohort of over 4000 patients and aimed to discover genetic predictors for the risk of rapid fibrosis among patients with different liver diseases.
Senior author of the study, Professor Jacob George said: “We found that irrespective of the cause of liver disease, variations in the gene for interferon lambda 3 (an immune system related gene) determines in part, whether patients have a risk of rapid liver scarring or not.”
“Patients with this ‘risky genotype’ have a high immune response to Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and fat build-up, so when their immune system begins to fight the disease it causes inflammation of the organ which then leads to scarring, or fibrosis,” he said.
Less than a year after this landmark finding, the researchers translated the discovery into the development of an online calculator which can assist doctors to quickly and accurately predict liver fibrosis.
Less than a year after this landmark finding, the researchers translated the discovery into the development of an online calculator which can assist doctors to quickly and accurately predict liver fibrosis.
The Fibrogene online calculator works by combining results from the genetic test with simple clinical variables including age, platelet count, and liver enzyme markers. Using state-of-the-art statistical analysis, the calculator uses these inputs to determine likely fibrosis progression in patients suffering from liver disease.
Results generated from the calculator will allow doctors to provide patients with a more detailed prognosis. It can also be used as a tool for prioritising liver disease patients for more appropriate and personalised treatment.
According to Storr Liver Centre’s Dr Mohammed Eslam, the calculator is an accurate, easy-to-use tool which can be used in any clinical setting.
“Doctors will be able to use this tool with confidence – it has been systematically and externally validated in a large cohort. We compared this test with four other serum biomarkers and found it to be superior. Also, because this test can be applied to all liver diseases, it cuts down on the amount of testing required.”
Professor George said, “The test has far-reaching implications for managing patients with liver disease. It will let doctors know if patients are at risk of rapid liver fibrosis, which requires specialised treatment, or if they are in a low risk category and a change in their lifestyle could help to improve their liver health.”
To access the Fibrogene online calculator, visit: http://www.fibrogene.com