Circulating Serum Markers Correlate with Liver Fibrosis in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C

Much effort has been spent in finding non-invasive alternatives to percutaneous liver biopsy for assessing the extent of liver damage. Here, we have evaluated a panel of circulating serum markers in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection and tested the diagnostic utility detecting the stage of liver fibrosis. Methods: Liver biopsies were taken from 117 patients with chronic hepatitis C infection before antiviral treatment and 117 age and sex matched controls. Liver fibrosis was staged numerically according to a score proposed by Desmet and Scheuer. Serum levels of tenascin, laminin, collagen VI, MMP–2, TIMP…