APPLICATION OF DETERMINATION OF SERUM LEVELS OF COLLAGEN TYPEIV,PROCOLLAGEN TYPE III,HYALURONIC ACID AND LAMININ IN DIAGNOSING HEPATIC FIBROSIS

Objective To investigate the changes of serum levels of collagen type Ⅳ(Ⅳ-C),procollagen type Ⅲ(PCⅢ),hyaluronic acid(HA)and laminin(LN)and their relationship with hepatic fibrosis in patients of chronic hepatitis B.Methods Serum levels of Ⅳ-C,PCⅢ,HA and LN were measured with radioimmunossay(RIA)in 150patients of chronic hepatitis B of various types.Degree of hepatic fibrosis was ascertained with their liver biopsy and correlationship with the corresponding levels of these 4 serum markers was studied.Results The levels of Ⅳ-C,PCⅢ,HA and LN in serum of patients with chronic hepatitis B of various types were higher than those of the control group.Serum levels of those markers were positively correlated with the degree of pathological changes of hepatic diesease and the activity of hepatic fibrosis.Conclusion Serum levels of these markers could reflect the degree of hepatic fibrosis and severity of liver damage.Combined determination of those markers is a sensitive and reliable diagnostic method in diagnosing hepatic fibrosis.