FibroMAX: towards a new universal biomarker of liver disease?

Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 2007 Sep;7(5):481-90. doi: 10.1586/14737159.7.5.481.

Abstract

Among the noninvasive alternatives to liver biopsy, several studies have demonstrated the predictive value and a better benefit-to-risk ratio than biopsy of five combinations of simple serum biochemical markers (the super combination being FibroMAX (BioPredictive, Paris, France) in patients at risk of chronic liver diseases: FibroTest (BioPredictive) for the quantitative assessment of fibrosis; SteatoTest (BioPredictive) for the quantitative assessment of steatosis; ActiTest (BioPredictive) for the quantitative assessment of necroinflammatory activity in chronic viral hepatitis C and B; NashTest (BioPredictive) for the categorical diagnosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; and AshTest for the quantitative assessment of alcoholic steatohepatitis (also known in the USA as HCV-FibroSURE, HBV-FibroSURE, ASH-FibroSURE and NASH-FibroSURE; LabCorp, NC, USA). The possible causes of false-negative and false-positive results are also better identified. These tests, which are now available in 50 countries, can facilitate the screening and management of the most frequent liver diseases.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers / analysis*
  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Fatty Liver / diagnosis
  • Fatty Liver, Alcoholic / diagnosis
  • HIV Infections / diagnosis
  • Hepatitis
  • Hepatitis, Viral, Human / diagnosis
  • Humans
  • Indicators and Reagents
  • Liver Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Liver Diseases / pathology
  • Liver Function Tests

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Indicators and Reagents