Early Diagnosis Of Liver Cirrhosis Research Articles

A Cr2O3-doped graphene sensor for early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis: a first-principles study.

Liver cirrhosis is among the leading causes of death worldwide. Because of its asymptomatic evolution, timely diagnosis of liver cirrhosis via non-invasive techniques is currently under investigation. Among the diagnostic methods employing volatile organic compounds directly detectable from breath, sensing of limonene (C10H16) represents one of the most promising strategies for diagnosing alcohol liver diseases, including cirrhosis. In the present work, by means of state-of-the-art Density Functional Theory calculations including the U correction, we present an investigation on the sensing capabilities of a chromium-oxide-doped graphene (i.e., Cr2O3-graphene) structure toward limonene detection. In contrast with other structures such as g-triazobenzol (g-C6N6) monolayers and germanane, which revealed their usefulness in detecting limonene via physisorption, the proposed Cr2O3-graphene heterostructure is capable of undergoing chemisorption upon molecular approaching of limonene over its surface. In fact, a high adsorption energy is recorded (∼-1.6 eV). Besides, a positive Moss-Burstein effect is observed upon adsorption of limomene on the Cr2O3-graphene heterostructure, resulting in a net increase of the bandgap (∼50%), along with a sizeable shift of the Fermi level toward the conduction band. These findings pave the way toward the experimental validation of such predictions and the employment of Cr2O3-graphene heterostructures as sensors of key liver cirrhosis biomarkers.

A highly selective and sensitive spectrofluorimetric method for the assessment of 3-nitrotyrosine in serum using (Eu(TTA)3Phen) photo probe.

A simple, accurate and fast method was developed for the assessment of 3-nitrotyrosine as a biomarker for the early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) using a (Eu(TTA)3Phen) photo probe. 3-Nitrotyrosine can remarkably quench the luminescence intensity of the (Eu(TTA)3Phen) complex in DMSO at pH = 9 and λem = 617 nm. The quenching of the luminescence intensity of (Eu(TTA)3Phen) complex particularly the electrical emission band at λem = 617 nm is used for the assessment of 3-nitrotyrosine in different serum samples of patients with liver cirrhosis.

The Applicability of ADA, AFU, and LAC in the Early Diagnosis and Disease Risk Assessment of Hepatitis B-Associated Liver Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of adenosine deaminase (ADA), α-l-fucosidase (AFU), lactic acid (LAC), and their combined detection in the early diagnosis of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver cirrhosis (LC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods: A retrospective analysis of hepatitis B-positive liver disease patients admitted between 2015 and 2020 was conducted. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the diagnostic value of each indicator in LC and HCC, and binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors and risks related to the occurrence of the two conditions.Results: The levels of ADA, AFU, and LAC were significantly increased in patients with CHB, LC, and HCC (p < 0.05). The ROC curve showed that the sensitivity and specificity of ADA, AFU, LAC, and their combined detection in the CHB and LC groups as well as in the LC and HCC groups reflected different degrees of clinical value. In the CHB and LC groups, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) values of ADA, AFU, and LAC among patients in the high-level group were 3.218, 1.859, and 11.474, respectively, when the median was considered the cutoff point. When quartiles were considered the cutoff point, the OR risk values of the adjusted levels of ADA, AFU, and LAC were higher than those of the lowest-level group (Q1) (p < 0.05). In the LC and HCC groups, the adjusted OR values of ADA, AFU, and LAC among patients in the high-level group were 0.967, 2.365, and 38.368, respectively. When quartiles were considered the cutoff point, the OR risk values of AFU and LAC levels were higher than those of the lowest-level group (Q1) (p < 0.05).Conclusion: ADA, AFU, and LAC demonstrated good value in the early diagnosis of LC and HCC. The combined detection of ADA+AFU+LAC is more effective than single detection for the early diagnosis of the two conditions. ADA, AFU, and LAC can serve as risk predictors of LC, while AFU and LAC can be considered early risk predictors of HCC.

Prediction of Liver Disease using Regression Tree

&lt;p class="0abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Abstract—&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;Data Mining plays a decisive role especially in medical domain. Decision trees are predominant model in machine learning. Decision trees are simple and very effective classification approach. The decision tree identifies the utmost prime features of a given problem. One of the most common disease in India is Liver Cirrhosis. It is distinctly difficult to uncover Liver Cirrhosis in its initial stage. However early diagnosis of Liver Cirrhosis is highly important.The liver disease data set has a collection of distinguishing features that affect the healthy state of a patient. Machine Learning methods enable knowledge acquisition in early stages and use of this acquired knowledge plays an important role in solving problems like suppose if we want to predict whether the patient with the Liver Cirrhosis has also been suffering from Hepatitis C or not. In order to easily arrive at this knowledge certainly there is a need for fully integrated system. In this paper the collected Liver disease data set is analyzed and prognosticated whether the patient is suffering from liver cirrhosis or not.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="0abstract"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;

Lnc-TCL6 is a potential biomarker for early diagnosis and grade in liver-cirrhosis patients.

BackgroundLong non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been applied as biomarkers in many diseases. However, scarce biomarkers are available in single lncRNA differential expression associated with different clinical stages of liver cirrhosis (LC). The aim of the study is to identify some lncRNAs that can serve as non-invasive sensitive biomarkers for early diagnosis and grade of LC.MethodsBlood lncRNA expression was evaluated in three independent cohorts with 305 participants including healthy controls, hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers, and patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) or LC. First, candidate lncRNAs were screened by CapitalBiotech microarray to diagnose cirrhosis. Quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was then used to investigate the expression of selected lncRNAs in the whole group of cirrhosis and different Child–Pugh classes. Ultimately, the diagnostic accuracy of the promising biomarker was examined and validated via Mann–Whitney test and receiver-operating characteristics analysis.ResultsLnc-TCL6 was identified as a sensitive biomarker for early diagnosis of LC (Child–Pugh A) compared with healthy controls (area under the ROC curve [AUC] = 0.636), HBV carriers (AUC = 0.671), and CHB patients (AUC = 0.672). Furthermore, lnc-TCL6 showed a favourable capacity in discriminating among different Child–Pugh classes (AUC: 0.711–0.837). Compared with healthy controls, HBV carriers, and CHB patients, the expression of lnc-TCL6 was obviously up-regulated in Child–Pugh A patients and, conversely, significantly down-regulated in Child–Pugh C patients.ConclusionsLnc-TCL6 is a novel potential biomarker for early diagnosis of LC and is a possible predictor of disease progression.

Clinical value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis complicated with small hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective To investigate the clinical value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and small hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods 60 patients with cirrhosis and small hepatocellular carcinoma were diagnosed by pathological examination.The number of lesions in the liver, the mode of enhanced expression were recorded, and all lesions were evaluated as benign and malignant before and after contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Results A total of 60 patients with 70 lesions were detected, all of which were less than 3cm.50 low differentiated carcinoma lesions, accounted for 71.42%, the contrast mode performance for arterial phase rapid enhancement, parenchymal lesion signal was lower than that of normal liver parenchyma, fast forward and fast.14 well differentiated carcinoma lesions, accounted for 20.00%, contrast mode performance for the arterial phase rapid enhancement, parenchymal lesion signal higher than that of normal liver parenchyma, namely fast and slow.Compared with before the contrast, the malignant grade of the lesion was significantly increased (χ2=4.525, P<0.05). Conclusion Ultrasound contrast in the early detection of liver cirrhosis with small liver cancer has high sensitivity, it is helpful to find lesions, evaluate the benign and malignant lesion, it can be used as a imaging method in diagnosis of small hepatocellular carcinoma. Key words: Ultrasonography; Liver Cirrhosis; Liver neoplasms; Early diagnosis

Computational identification of microRNAs and their targets in liver cirrhosis.

Previous studies have revealed that the deregulation of circulating miRNAs is associated with liver cirrhosis. The present study aimed to identify reliable candidate biomarkers to improve the early detection of liver cirrhosis. An integrated analysis of expression profiles of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) and mRNAs in liver cirrhosis tissues from the GEO database was performed. Next, the regulatory targets of the differentially expressed miRNAs in liver cirrhosis tissues were predicted. In addition, a regulatory network of miRNA-target genes was constructed. A total of 4 eligible mRNA expression profiling studies and 2 miRNA expression profiling studies met the inclusion criteria, and were thus included. A total of 48 differentially expressed miRNAs and 1,773 differentially expressed genes were identified in liver cirrhosis tissues compared with normal tissues. There were 240 miRNA-target pairs whose expression was negatively correlated. In the miRNA-target regulatory network, overexpression of miR-21 and miR-199a-3p was suggested to be closely associated with the progression of liver cirrhosis. In addition, functional enrichment analysis of the target genes indicated that cell cycle was the most significantly enriched pathway, and the dysregulation of leukemia inhibitory factor, cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A and retinoblastoma-associated protein 1 clearly suggested their importance in the development of liver cirrhosis. We hypothesized that miR-21 and miR-199a-3p may be promising non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers for the early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis. The miRNA-target regulatory network may provide additional insight into the current data regarding the role of miRNAs in liver cirrhosis.

Nano optical sensor binuclear Pt-2-pyrazinecarboxylic acid –bipyridine for enhancement of the efficiency of 3-nitrotyrosine biomarker for early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis with minimal hepatic encephalopathy

A new, precise, and very selective method for increasing the impact and assessment of 3-nitrotyrosine (3-Nty) as a biomarker for early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) disease was developed. The method depends on the formation of the ion pair associate between 3-nitrotyrosine and the optical sensor binuclear Pt-2-pyrazinecarboxylic acid (pca)-Bipyridine (bpy) complex doped in sol-gel matrix in buffer solution of pH 7.3. The binuclear Pt (pca)(bpy) has +II net charge which is very selective and sensitive for [3-Nty]−2 at pH 7.3 in serum sample of liver cirrhosis with MHE diseases. 3-nitrotyrosine (3-Nty) quenches the luminescence intensity of the nano optical sensor binuclear Pt(pca) (bpy) at 528nm after excitation at 370nm, pH 7.3. The remarkable quenching of the luminescence intensity at 528nm of nano binuclear Pt(pca) (bpy) doped in sol-gel matrix by various concentrations of the 3-Nty was successfully used as an optical sensor for the assessment of 3-Nty in different serum samples of (MHE) in patients with liver cirrhosis. The calibration plot was achieved over the concentration range 1.85×10−5 – 7.95×10−10molL−1 3-Nty with a correlation coefficient of (0.999) and a detection limit of (4.7×10−10molL−1). The method increases the sensitivity (93.75%) and specificity (96.45%) of 3-Nty as a biomarker for early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis with MHE in patients.

Clinical value of real-time elastography quantitative parameters in evaluating the stage of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

The aim of the present study was to assess the value of real-time elastography (RTE) quantitative parameters, namely the liver fibrosis (LF) index and the ratio of blue area (%AREA), in evaluating the stage of liver fibrosis. RTE quantitative analysis software was used to examine 120 patients with chronic hepatitis in order to obtain the values for 12 quantitative parameters from the elastic images. The diagnostic performance of two such parameters, the LF index and %AREA, were assessed with a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to determine the optimal diagnostic cut-off values for liver cirrhosis and fibrosis. A good correlation was observed between the LF index and %AREA with the fibrosis stage. The areas under the ROC curve for the LF index were 0.985 for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and 0.790 for liver fibrosis. With regard to %AREA, the areas under the ROC curve for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and fibrosis were 0.963 and 0.770, respectively. An LF index of >3.25 and a %AREA of >28.83 for the diagnosis of cirrhosis stage resulted in sensitivity values of 100 and 100%, specificity values of 88.9 and 85.9% and accuracy values of 90.8 and 88.3%, respectively. The LF index and %AREA parameters exhibited higher reliability in the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis compared with the diagnosis of the liver fibrosis stage. However, the two parameters possessed a similar efficacy in the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and the stage of liver fibrosis. Therefore, the quantitative RTE parameters of the LF index and %AREA may be clinically applicable as reliable indices for the early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis, without the requirement of an invasive procedure.

Prediction of liver cirrhosis, using diagnostic imaging tools.

Early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis is important. Ultrasound-guided liver biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosis of liver cirrhosis. However, its invasiveness and sampling bias limit the applicability of the method. Basic imaging for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis has developed over the last few decades, enabling early detection of morphological changes of the liver by ultrasonography (US), computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They are also accurate diagnostic methods for advanced liver cirrhosis, for which early diagnosis is difficult. There are a number of ways to compensate for this difficulty, including texture analysis to more closely identify the homogeneity of hepatic parenchyma, elastography to measure the stiffness and elasticity of the liver, and perfusion studies to determine the blood flow volume, transit time, and velocity. Amongst these methods, elastography using US and MRI was found to be slightly easier, faster, and able to provide an accurate diagnosis. Early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis using MRI or US elastography is therefore a realistic alternative, but further research is still needed.

The hepatocyte phase of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI in the evaluation of hepatic fibrosis and early liver cirrhosis in a rat model: An experimental study

AimsTo evaluate the hepatocyte phase of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI in the early diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis and assessment of liver function in a rat model. Main methodsIn 2 groups of SD rats, liver fibrosis was induced in experimental animals by repetitive carbon tetrachloride injections, while the control group received saline injections. Five experimental rats and 2 control rats were randomly selected at weeks 4, 8, 12. One week after carbon tetrachloride administration, MRI (FIRM T1WI) scan was performed. Gd-EOB-DTPA (0.08mL) was injected into the rat's tail vein and hepatocyte phase images were obtained after 20min. The pre-enhanced phase and hepatocyte phase signal intensities (SI) were measured, and the relative contrast enhancement index (RCEI) was calculated. ANOVA analysis (LSD) of RCEI values in controls (n=6), hepatic fibrosis (n=7), and histopathologically-determined early cirrhosis group (n=6) was performed. Key findingsRECI values showed a decreasing trend in the control group, hepatic fibrosis and early cirrhosis groups (1.11±0.43, 0.96±0.22, and 0.57±0.33, respectively). While the difference between the control and early cirrhosis groups was statistically significant (p=0.013), there was no significant difference in the hepatic fibrosis group vs the control (p=0.416) and the hepatic fibrosis group vs the early cirrhosis group (p=0.054). SignificanceHepatocyte phase RCEI values obtained with Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI scan indicate liver injury in hepatic fibrosis and early cirrhosis. RCEI values are helpful for early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis.

SVM-based characterisation of liver cirrhosis by singular value decomposition of GLCM matrix

Early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis is essential as cirrhosis is an irreversible disease most often seen as precursor to development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Early diagnosis helps radiologist in better disease management by adequate scheduling of treatment options. In the present work, features derived from GLCM mean matrix, GLCM range matrix and singular value decomposition of GLCM matrix have been used along with SVM classifier for designing an efficient computer-aided diagnostic system to characterise normal and cirrhotic liver. The study has been carried out on 120 regions of interest ROIs extracted from 31 clinically acquired B-mode liver ultrasound images. It is observed that the first four singular values obtained by singular value decomposition of GLCM matrix result in highest accuracy and sensitivity of 98.33% and 100%, respectively. The promising results obtained by the proposed computer-aided diagnostic system indicate its usefulness to assist radiologists in diagnosis of liver cirrhosis.

Non-invasive diagnosis and monitoring of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis

The accurate staging of liver fibrosis in chronic liver diseases, especially the early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis, is crucial for prognostic assessment of the course of the disease. The histological evaluation of a liver biopsy cylinder is still the gold standard in assessing the stage of liver fibrosis. However, liver biopsy is an invasive procedure and carries the risk of complications. This has to be balanced against the information benefit of liver histology. To overcome this, non-invasive tests were developed assessing liver fibrosis based on combinations of laboratory markers or techniques measuring liver elasticity. In this review the current impact of the non invasive methods is discussed and weighted against liver biopsy.

Pathogenesis of Hepatitis B Virus Infection

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) consists of a circular, partially double-stranded DNA molecule of 3.2 kb in length, which contains four overlapping reading frames that code for surface proteins (HBsAg), core proteins (HBcAg/HBeAg), the viral polymerase and the transcriptional transactivator X protein. HBV infection can lead to chronic carriage of the virus and progressive liver diseases, such as hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HBV and hepatitis C virus or HIV coinfections can increase the HCC risk. A great amount of evidence demonstrates that HBV plays an important role in the development of liver diseases. Chronic hepatitis appears to be due to a suboptimal cellular immune response that destroys some of the infected hepatocytes and does not purge the virus from the remaining infected hepatocytes, thereby permitting the persisting virus to trigger a chronic indolent necroinflammatory liver disease that sets the stage for the development of HCC. However, the pathogenesis of HBV-related HCC is incompletely clarified. Hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx), an important transforming inducer, plays a crucial role in HCC occurrence, invasion and metastasis. Monitoring of the HBV genotypes and antibody to hepatitis B x antigen (anti-HBx) are significant for predicting the outcome of antiviral therapy or early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and HCC. Some molecular approaches, such as antisense, oligonucleotides, ribozymes, RNA interference targeting HBV mRNA, are available in antiviral therapies. The intracellular antibody technique and immune therapy by dendritic cells could potentially be used in future antiviral therapies.