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©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 7, 2007; 13(37): 4917-4923
Published online Oct 7, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i37.4917
Published online Oct 7, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i37.4917
From bed to bench: Which attitude towards the laboratory liver tests should health care practitioners strike?
Giovanni Tarantino, Section of Hepatology in Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Federico II University Medical School of Naples, Italy
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Giovanni Tarantino, MD, Section of Hepatology in Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Federico II University Medical School of Naples, Italy. tarantin@unina.it
Telephone: +39-81-7462024 Fax: +39-81-5466152
Received: June 2, 2007
Revised: July 26, 2007
Accepted: July 30, 2007
Published online: October 7, 2007
Revised: July 26, 2007
Accepted: July 30, 2007
Published online: October 7, 2007
Abstract
There is a general consensus in re-interpreting the so-called liver function tests in the light of novel discoveries. At the same time, recent evidence favours the use of different laboratory data to assess liver damage, fibrosis or regenerative process, but this point is not always shared. Actually, balancing the need for diagnosis, prognostic evaluation and therapy response of liver disease with a good cost/benefit ratio is very difficult. New tests are probably not needed but the aim should be for better utilization of existing tests to contain the increasing cost of health care.
Keywords: Laboratory liver tests; ALanine aminotransferase; Aspartate aminotransferase; Quantitative testing of liver function; Alcoholic liver disease; Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; Hepatitis C virus