Two interesting reviews about Liver fibrosis and hepatitis C

We have very interesting reviews in HEPATOLOGY (January 2011 Volume 53, Issue 1 Pages 1–377)

1. Noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis (Article first published online: 29 NOV 2010 | DOI: 10.1002/hep.24013)

Liver biopsy has long been an important tool for assessing the degree of liver fibrosis. Information on the presence and degree of liver fibrosis is useful before making therapeutic decisions or predicting disease outcomes. The need to stage liver fibrosis, however, should decrease as treatment options become more successful (as has occurred with viral hepatitis). In recent years, noninvasive tests have demonstrated a reasonable ability to identify significant fibrosis, cirrhosis in particular, nor is it surprising that liver disease specialists and patients favor a noninvasive approach. However, only those tests with the highest diagnostic accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and availability should be implemented. Apart from their diagnostic accuracy, the potential ability of these tests to predict disease outcomes (a more relevant endpoint) should be compared with that of liver biopsy. Indeed, the use of a standardized system to evaluate the utility of biomarkers would facilitate their implementation in clinical practice. (Hepatology 2011.)

2. Hepatitis C pharmacogenetics: State of the art in 2010 (Article first published online: 12 JAN 2011 | DOI: 10.1002/hep.24052)

In 2009, a correlated set of polymorphisms in the region of the interleukin-28B (IL28B) gene were associated with clearance of genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) in patients treated with pegylated interferon-alfa and ribavirin. The same polymorphisms were subsequently associated with spontaneous clearance of HCV in untreated patients. The link between IL28B genotype and HCV clearance may impact decisions regarding initiation of current therapy, the design and interpretation of clinical studies, the economics of treatment, and the process of regulatory approval for new anti-HCV therapeutic agents. (Hepatology 2011)