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Prothrombin index decrease: a useful and reliable marker of extensive fibrosis?

Jean-Francois Cadranel·Philippe Mathurin
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Abstract

Non-invasive serum markers of extensive liver fibrosis are required in clinical practice for several reasons: (1) although histological analysis is considered to be the gold standard for the diagnosis of extensive fibrosis and cirrhosis, the rate of false-negative results is approximately 15-20%; (2) liver biopsy is an invasive method with a 1/10 000 mortality rate, even though occurrence of death is exceptional in patients with diffuse liver disease; (3) patients with chronic viral hepatitis have to undergo multiple liver biopsies during follow-up to assess the progression of tissue injury. In this leading article, we briefly overview the recent progress in non-invasive serum markers for the prediction of the extent of liver fibrosis. Among those serum markers, we focused on prothrombin index, which seems to be a reliable and non-expansive marker for the diagnosis of extensive fibrosis.

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Apolipoprotein A-IBiomarkersHumansLiver CirrhosisProthrombinSensitivity and SpecificityCommentJournal Article

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Jean-Francois Cadranel, Philippe Mathurin. 2002. Prothrombin index decrease: a useful and reliable marker of extensive fibrosis?. https://doi.org/10.1097/00042737-200210000-00004

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