Quantitation of liver fibrosis
The relationship between the degree of liver fibrosis and the clinical course of chronic liver disease is not well known. However, several recent studies suggest that there is a close link between the degree of fibrosis and clinical events like portal hypertension (34). In addition, fibrosis degree might have prognostic value. Thus, it is probable that quantitative fibrosis tests will have a noteworthy clinical utility. In addition, non invasive tests will probably substantially contribute to improve our knowledge about the natural course of chronic liver diseases. Previous studies have shown that the amount of fibrosis is mainly developed during the course of cirrhosis (34). So, the quantitation of liver fibrosis will have a growing interest.
FibroMeters, as their name suggest it, are able to precisely depict the degree of liver fibrosis. First, the score of FibroMeter designed for staging has to be used as a quantitative index since there is a strong correlation between the blood test values and the fibrosis staging (figures 4 and 7).


Second, a specific blood test for cirrhosis is capable to better reflect the degree of fibrosis in patients with cirrhosis than a test constructed for significant fibrosis (figure 13).

More importantly, we have constructed the only direct quantitative measurement of fibrosis amount with the FibroMeters for the area of fibrosis (figure 14) (2).

The amount of fibrosis appears closely related to the course of clinical events (figure 11)

or to the degree of liver dysfunction.
2. Cales P, Oberti F, Michalak S, Hubert-Fouchard I, Rousselet MC, Konate A, et al. A novel panel of blood markers to assess the degree of liver fibrosis. Hepatology 2005;42:1373-81.
34. Foucher J, Chanteloup E, Vergniol J, Castera L, Le Bail B, Adhoute X, et al. Diagnosis of cirrhosis by transient elastography (FibroScan): a prospective study. Gut 2006;55:403-8.