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Albumin-bilirubin score: Monitoring hepatic function in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection
Elsie A Jiménez-Cuevas, Mariana Montoya-López, Fernanda M Martínez-Díaz, Mariana M Ramírez-Mejía, Nahum Méndez-Sánchez, Liver Research Unit, Medica Sur Clinic and Foundation, Mexico City 14050, Mexico
Mariana M Ramírez-Mejía, Plan of Combined Studies in Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04360, Mexico
Nahum Méndez-Sánchez, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04360, Mexico
Author contributions: Jiménez-Cuevas EA, Montoya-López M, Martínez-Díaz FM, and Ramírez-Mejía MM contributed to the discussion and design of the manuscript; Méndez-Sánchez N designed the overall concept and outline of the manuscript; Jiménez-Cuevas EA, Montoya-López M, Martínez-Díaz FM, Ramírez-Mejía MM, and Méndez-Sánchez N contributed to the writing and editing of the manuscript, the illustrations, and the literature review; all authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
AI contribution statement: ChatGPT was used solely for language refinement to improve clarity and readability of the text.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflicts of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Corresponding author: Nahum Méndez-Sánchez, PhD, FAASLD, Researcher, Liver Research Unit, Medica Sur Clinic and Foundation, Puente de Piedra 150, Col Toriello Guerra, Mexico City 14050, Mexico. nmendez@medicasur.org.mx
Received: September 15, 2025
Revised: December 10, 2025
Accepted: January 23, 2026
Published online: July 27, 2026
Processing time: 314 Days and 13.1 Hours
Revised: December 10, 2025
Accepted: January 23, 2026
Published online: July 27, 2026
Processing time: 314 Days and 13.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Chronic hepatitis C virus infection remains a significant global health challenge despite major advances in direct-acting antivirals. The albumin-bilirubin score, initially developed for hepatocellular carcinoma, has emerged as a simple, objective, and cost-effective biomarker for assessing liver function in these patients. Current evidence suggests that the albumin-bilirubin score improves following antiviral therapy, correlates well with established noninvasive tests, and captures both fibrosis and inflammatory activity. However, its full clinical utility is still being defined, and larger, more diverse studies are needed to validate its predictive value and clarify its role in precision hepatology.