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Current Hepatology Reports
Published in: Current Hepatology Reports 2/2017

01-06-2017 | Management of the Cirrhotic Patient (A Cardenas and N Reau, Section Editors)

Biomarkers and Liver Disease: Can We Predict Decompensation with suPAR?

Authors: Alexander Koch, Frank Tacke

Published in: Current Hepatology Reports | Issue 2/2017

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Release of urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR, CD87), shedded from leukocytes into serum as soluble uPAR (suPAR) is a novel clinical biomarker for immune activation and prognosis in many acute and chronic inflammatory disorders like sepsis or chronic kidney disease. We herein review the current literature on suPAR in patients with liver diseases.

Recent Findings

Serum suPAR levels are upregulated and indicate disease severity in acute liver failure, chronic hepatitis, and different stages of liver cirrhosis. In prospective studies, high suPAR serum concentration predicted decompensation, organ failure, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and mortality in patients with advanced chronic liver diseases. However, suPAR is not suitable as a diagnostic tool in liver diseases, as it reflects systemic inflammation and organ dysfunction in various acute or chronic illnesses.

Summary

Measuring circulating suPAR can provide substantial additional prognostic information and should therefore be considered as an interesting biomarker in liver disease patients.
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Metadata
Title
Biomarkers and Liver Disease: Can We Predict Decompensation with suPAR?
Authors
Alexander Koch
Frank Tacke
Publication date
01-06-2017
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Current Hepatology Reports / Issue 2/2017
Electronic ISSN: 2195-9595
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11901-017-0350-1

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