PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Study: Fast, painless alternative to liver biopsies for hepatitis patients proves accurate and reliable

2013-10-31
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Dwight Angell
dwight.angell@hfhs.org
313-850-3471
Henry Ford Health System
Study: Fast, painless alternative to liver biopsies for hepatitis patients proves accurate and reliable DETROIT – A non-invasive alternative to liver biopsy, now the standard method of diagnosing cirrhosis in hepatitis patients, proved very reliable in a national multi-center study including Henry Ford Hospital. The results of the study are good news for chronic hepatitis B and C sufferers who now often undergo repeated and potentially painful liver biopsies as part of their disease management. The focus of the research was the French-made FibroScan, which was being used in more than 70 countries worldwide when it received approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April. The study is being presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases being held in Washington, DC, Nov. 1-5. In liver biopsy, a sample of tissue is most often collected using a needle inserted through the skin and underlying tissue and into the liver. It is widely regarded as safe, but because it's invasive, carries risks ranging from pain and bleeding, to rare instances of death. FibroScan replaces liver biopsies with a quick and painless procedure similar to the familiar ultrasound tests long used to diagnose and track pregnancy, as well as internal disease. It's based on a technology called transient elastography, which measures liver "stiffness" to assess the degree of fibrosis – scarring – and guide ongoing treatment. The scan is performed as an outpatient procedure, taking only about 15 minutes, and providing immediate results on the degree of liver fibrosis. To confirm the accuracy of FibroScan – already established by research studies in Europe and Asia – the new U.S. research focused on 814 patients with chronic type B and C viral hepatitis. Each was examined using FibroScan followed by liver biopsy, and the results were compared according to several criteria. "What we found," said Stuart C. Gordon, M.D., director of the Hepatology section at Henry Ford, who participated in the study, "confirms that FibroScan very accurately assesses for the presence of cirrhosis in patients with both types of chronic viral hepatitis." The study also noted that the device "exhibits excellent reproducibility," which makes it a "reasonable alternative" to liver biopsy.

### END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Gaming technology unravels 1 of the most complex entities in nature

2013-10-31
Gaming technology unravels 1 of the most complex entities in nature Computational research unveils secrets in the human carbohydrate bar-code BBSRC-funded researchers at the University of Manchester's Institute of Biotechnology have ...

The secret's in the (robotic) stroke

2013-10-31
The secret's in the (robotic) stroke NYU-Poly researchers tease out cues that impact schooling fish behavior Brooklyn, New York— Recent studies from two research teams at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) demonstrate ...

Increasing rate of knee replacements linked to obesity among young, researchers say

2013-10-31
Increasing rate of knee replacements linked to obesity among young, researchers say New data show younger adults have same or greater impairment than older patients BOSTON – Contrary to popular myth, it is not the aging Baby Boomer or weekend ...

Newly identified proteins make promising targets for blocking graft-vs.-host disease

2013-10-31
Newly identified proteins make promising targets for blocking graft-vs.-host disease Finding could help improve outcomes from bone marrow transplants ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have ...

Biochemists find incomplete protein digestion is a useful thing for some bacteria

2013-10-31
Biochemists find incomplete protein digestion is a useful thing for some bacteria To the authors' surprise, 1 specialized replication factor was partially digested or trimmed, physically cut into shorter fragments, by an energy-dependent protease ...

Long-term use of prescription-based painkillers increases the risk of depression, SLU researcher finds

2013-10-31
Long-term use of prescription-based painkillers increases the risk of depression, SLU researcher finds ST. LOUIS – Opioid analgesics, or prescription-based narcotic pain killers, have long been known to reduce pain, but reports of adverse effects and addiction continue ...

Houston we have a problem: Microgravity accelerates biological aging

2013-10-31
Houston we have a problem: Microgravity accelerates biological aging New research in The FASEB Journal suggests that gravitational unloading significantly impairs the function of endothelial cells, as evidenced by gene expression ...

Primary GOES-R instrument ready to be installed onto spacecraft

2013-10-31
Primary GOES-R instrument ready to be installed onto spacecraft A key instrument that will fly on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite – R (GOES-R) spacecraft, NOAA's next-generation of geostationary satellites, is cleared for installation ...

Lefties more likely to have psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia: Yale study

2013-10-31
Lefties more likely to have psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia: Yale study Being left-handed has been linked to many mental disorders, but Yale researcher Jadon Webb and his colleagues have found that among those with mental illnesses, people with psychotic ...

Direct link established between stimulus-response learning and substance abuse

2013-10-31
Direct link established between stimulus-response learning and substance abuse Findings from Douglas Institute neuroscientist Véronique Bohbot, PhD, neuroscientist at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, found ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Attitudes, not income, drive energy savings at home

The playbook for perfect polaritons

‘Disease in a dish’ study of progressive MS finds critical role for unusual type of brain cell

Solar-powered method lights the way to a ‘de-fossilized’ chemical industry

Screen time linked to lower academic achievement among Ontario elementary students

One-year outcomes after traumatic brain injury and early extracranial surgery in the TRACK-TBI Study

Enduring outcomes of COVID-19 work absences on the US labor market

Affirmative action repeal and racial and ethnic diversity in us medical school admissions

Cancer progression illuminated by new multi-omics tool

Screen time and standardized academic achievement tests in elementary school

GLP-1RA order fills and out-of-pocket costs by race, ethnicity, and indication

Study finds HEPA purifiers alone may not be enough to reduce viral exposure in schools

UVA Health developing way to ID people at risk of dangerous lung scarring even before symptoms appear

How can we know when curing cancer causes myocarditis?

Male infertility in Indian men linked to lifestyle choices and hormonal imbalances

An acoustofluidic device for sample preparation and detection of small extracellular vesicles

The advent of nanotechnology has ushered in a transformative era for oncology, offering unprecedented capabilities for targeted drug delivery and controlled release. This paradigm shift enhances thera

A prototype LED as thin as wallpaper — that glows like the sun

Transnational electoral participation of undocumented Mexican immigrants in the US

A new method to build more energy-efficient memory devices for a sustainable data future

Freely levitating rotor spins out ultraprecise sensors for classical and quantum physics

‘Chinese lantern’ structure shifts into more than a dozen shapes for various applications

Towards light-controlled electronic components

Tiny architects, titanic climate impact: scientists call for October 10 to become International Coccolithophore Day

Stress sensitivity makes suicidal thoughts more extreme and persistent among the university population

Lessons from Ascension’s shark troubles could help boost conservation

Fire provides long-lasting benefits to bird populations in Sierra Nevada National Parks

Menstrual cycle affects women’s reaction time but not as much as being active

Housing associations more effective than government in supporting unemployed in deprived areas

Biochar helps composting go greener by cutting greenhouse gas emissions

[Press-News.org] Study: Fast, painless alternative to liver biopsies for hepatitis patients proves accurate and reliable