Search results for "Serum markers"

Non invasive tools for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis

2014

Liver cirrhosis (LC), the end stage of many forms of chronic hepatitis of different etiologies is a diffuse process characterized by fibrosis and the conversion of normal liver architecture into structurally abnormal nodules surrounded by annular fibrosis. This chronic progressive clinical condition, leads to liver cell failure and portal hypertension, which can favour the onset of hepatocellular carcinoma. Defining the phase of the natural history is crucial for therapeutic choice and prognosis. Liver biopsy is currently considered the best available standard of reference but it has some limits, so alternative tools have been developed to substitute liver biopsy when assessing liver fibros…

PWE-140 Comparison Of 4 Serum Markers Panels of Fibrosis in Chc: Variants of the Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Assay Significantly Affect Their Diagnostic Per…

2013

Introduction The detection of advancing fibrosis in patients with CHC and prior treatment failure is important for ascertaining prognosis. HA has been used alone and as a constituent component of fibrosis marker panels. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of 4 marker panels in the detection of moderate-to-severe fibrosis (Metavir F2–4) and to assess the influence on diagnostic performance of using 2 different validated assays for HA. Methods 80 patients with CHC, all non-responders or relapsers to IFN-based treatment, were included in this study. Sera obtained within 6 months of liver biopsy were used to measure 4 biomarker panels incorporating HA (ELF, Fibrospect-II, Hepas…

Novel circulating microRNA signature as a potential non-invasive multi-marker test in ER-positive early-stage breast cancer:A case control study

2014

Introduction There are currently no highly sensitive and specific minimally invasive biomarkers for detection of early‐stage breast cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are present in the circulation and may be unique biomarkers for early diagnosis of human cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the differential expression of miRNAs in the serum of breast cancer patients and healthy controls. Methods Global miRNA analysis was performed on serum from 48 patients with ER‐positive early‐stage breast cancer obtained at diagnosis (24 lymph node‐positive and 24 lymph node‐negative) and 24 age‐matched healthy controls using LNA‐based quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR). A signature of miRNAs was…

EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on non-invasive tests for evaluation of liver disease severity and prognosis – 2021 update

2021

Summary Non-invasive tests are increasingly being used to improve the diagnosis and prognostication of chronic liver diseases across aetiologies. Herein, we provide the latest update to the EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on the use of non-invasive tests for the evaluation of liver disease severity and prognosis, focusing on the topics for which relevant evidence has been published in the last 5 years.

Testicular tumors in childhood: a national report

1993

The authors report preliminary data of an Italian multicentric, retrospective study of primary testicular tumors (PTT) in childhood involving 20 Italian departments of pediatric surgery. Forty cases of PTT were observed during a 10-year period (1977–1987), with yolk-sac tumors being the most frequent (45%). Most testicular tumors were first perceived as a unilateral testicular mass. Scrotal ultrasonography represents the main diagnostic investigation, together with serum marker levels.

Serum markers for early detection of patients with mesenteric ischemia after cardiac surgery

2018

AbstractObjectiveMesenteric ischemia (MESI) is a rare but often fatal complication in patients after cardiac surgery. Non-specific clinical symptoms and lack of specific laboratory parameters complicate the diagnosis. We evaluated potential serum markers for MESI in cardiac surgery patients.MethodsBetween March and October 2012, serial serum samples of 567 elective cardiac surgery patients were collected 1, 24, and 48 h after the operation, and concentrations of potential markers for MESI [α-glutathione-S-transferase (αGST), intestinal fatty-acid-binding protein (iFABP), and D-lactate] were measured retrospectively. In patients requiring laparotomy, blood samples obtained 72, 48, 24, and 12…

Neuron-specific enolase--a serum marker for malignant melanoma.

1989

Clinical evaluation of pancreatitis-associated protein as a serum marker of hepatocellular carcinoma: Comparison with α-fetoprotein

1998

This study evaluated the significance of serum pancreatitis-associated protein (PAP) assay, as a marker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in comparison and combined with α-fetoprotein (AFP) assay. Sixty-five patients with HCC, 59 with liver cirrhosis (LC) and 68 asymptomatic controls (C) were studied. PAP and AFP values significantly increased from C to LC and HCC group (p < 0.0001). The area under receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the two markers was not statistically different. At 100% specificity, ROC analysis gave a cut-off level for AFP of 166 IU/l with 40% sensitivity, and a cut-off level of 240 µg/l for PAP with 23% sensitivity. Diagnostic accuracy of combined AFP…

Early changes in dynamic biomarkers of liver fibrosis in hepatitis C virus-infected patients treated with sofosbuvir

2016

Abstract Background Chronic hepatitis C is a major cause of liver-associated mortality caused by decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. With the approval of sofosbuvir, therapeutic efficacy has markedly increased. Early changes in non-invasive biomarkers of liver fibrosis under effective antiviral therapy are widely unknown. Aim To evaluate early changes of fibrosis markers determined by enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) scores and liver stiffness measurement (FibroScan®) in patients treated with sofosbuvir. Methods A total of 32 hepatitis C patients treated prospectively with sofosbuvir were included. The ELF-panel and FibroScan measurements were performed at baseline, week 4, e…

Transient elastography compared to serum markers to predict liver fibrosis in a cohort of Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B.

2015

Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) using transient elastography (FibroScan) is a useful tool to assess fibrosis in various chronic liver diseases. However, studies were mainly performed in Western countries and largely focused on chronic hepatitis C (CHC). We therefore carried out a multicenter study to validate the accuracy of LSM in the assessment of liver fibrosis in a large cohort of Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).We compared LSM results to histological staging and serum fibrosis markers (five direct markers, APRI and FIB-4) using Spearman correlation analysis and area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUROCs).Four hundred sixty-nine patients were enr…