0000000000970772
AUTHOR
M Fraquelli
HUMAN LEUKOCYTE ANTIGEN POLYMORPHISMS IN ITALIAN PRIMARY BILIARY CIRRHOSIS: A MULTICENTER STUDY OF 664 PATIENTS AND 1992 HEALTHY CONTROLS
Genetic factors are critical in determining susceptibility to primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), but there has not been a clear association with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes. We performed a multicenter case-control study and analyzed HLA class II DRB1 associations using a large cohort of 664 well-defined cases of PBC and 1992 controls of Italian ancestry. Importantly, healthy controls were rigorously matched not only by age and sex, but also for the geographical origin of the proband four grandparents (Northern, Central, and Southern Italy). After correction for multiple testing, DRB1*08 [odds ratio (OR), 3.3; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.4-4.5] and DRB1*02 (OR 0.9; 95% CI 0.8-1.2) …
Liver stiffness, a non-invasive marker of liver disease: a core study group report
The ability to evaluate liver stiffness non-invasively in clinical practice by measuring transient elastography using FibroScan® has resulted in considerable interest and enthusiasm. A core study group, organized by the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver, has assessed the usefulness of FibroScan® in the diagnosis and management of liver disease in clinical practice. The group concluded that FibroScan® is a valuable, non-invasive technique and have developed a consensus report form for registering transient elastography results. In this article, we report the findings of the study group.