LiverScreen project : study protocol for screening for liver fibrosis in the general population in European countries
Graupera, Isabel (Universitat de Barcelona)
Thiele, Maja (Odense University Hospital (Dinamarca))
Ma, Ann T. (Universitat de Barcelona)
Serra-Burriel, Miquel (Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich)
Pich, Judit (Clinical Trial Unit, Hospital Clínic)
Fabrellas, Núria (Universitat de Barcelona)
Caballería, Llorenç (Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol)
de Knegt, Robert J. (Erasmus MC University Medical Centre)
Grgurevic, Ivica (University Hospital Dubrava)
Reichert, Mathias (Saarland University Medical Center)
Roulot, Dominique (Université Paris 13)
Schattenberg, Jörn M. (University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg)
Pericàs, Juan M (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Medicina)
Angeli, Paolo (University Hospital of Padova (Pàdua, Itàlia))
Tsochatzis, Emmanuel A. (University College of London)
Guha, Indra Neil (University of Nottingham)
Garcia-Retortillo, M (Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques)
Morillas, Rosa Maria (Institut Germans Trias i Pujol. Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol)
Hernández, Rosario (Institut Català de la Salut)
Hoyo, Jordi (Institut Català de la Salut)
Fuentes, Matilde (Institut Català de la Salut)
Madir, Anita (University Hospital Dubrava)
Juanola, Adrià (Universitat de Barcelona)
Soria, Anna (Universitat de Barcelona)
Juan, Marta (Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona)
Carol, Marta (Universitat de Barcelona)
Díaz, Alba (Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona)
Detlefsen, Sönke (Odense University Hospital (Dinamarca))
Torán Montserrat, Pere (Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol)
Fournier, Céline (Echosens)
Llorca, Anne (Echosens)
Newsome, Phillip N. (University of Birmingham)
Manns, Michael (Hannover Medical School)
de Koning, Harry J. (Erasmus University Medical Center)
Serra-Burriel, Feliu (Barcelona Supercomputing Center)
Cucchietti, Fernando (Barcelona Supercomputing Center)
Arslanow, Anita (University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg)
Korenjak, Marko (European Liver Patients'Association)
van Kleef, Laurens (Erasmus MC University Medical Centre)
Falcó, Josep Lluis (GENESIS Biomed (Barcelona, Catalunya))
Kamath, Patrick S. (Mayo Clinic College)
Karlsen, Tom H. (Oslo University hospital)
Castera, Laurent (Université de Paris)
Lammert, Frank (Hannover Medical School (MHH))
Krag, Aleksander (Odense University Hospital (Dinamarca))
Ginès, Pere (Universitat de Barcelona)

Date:	2022
Abstract:	The development of liver cirrhosis is usually an asymptomatic process until late stages when complications occur. The potential reversibility of the disease is dependent on early diagnosis of liver fibrosis and timely targeted treatment. Recently, the use of non-invasive tools has been suggested for screening of liver fibrosis, especially in subjects with risk factors for chronic liver disease. Nevertheless, large population-based studies with cost-effectiveness analyses are still lacking to support the widespread use of such tools. The aim of this study is to investigate whether non-invasive liver stiffness measurement in the general population is useful to identify subjects with asymptomatic, advanced chronic liver disease. This study aims to include 30,000 subjects from eight European countries. Subjects from the general population aged ≥ 40 years without known liver disease will be invited to participate in the study either through phone calls/letters or through their primary care center. In the first study visit, subjects will undergo bloodwork as well as hepatic fat quantification and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by vibration-controlled transient elastography. If LSM is ≥ 8 kPa and/or if ALT levels are ≥1. 5 x upper limit of normal, subjects will be referred to hospital for further evaluation and consideration of liver biopsy. The primary outcome is the percentage of subjects with LSM ≥ 8kPa. In addition, a health economic evaluation will be performed to assess the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of such an intervention. The project is funded by the European Commission H2020 program. This study comes at an especially important time, as the burden of chronic liver diseases is expected to increase in the coming years. There is consequently an urgent need to change our current approach, from diagnosing the disease late when the impact of interventions may be limited to diagnosing the disease earlier, when the patient is asymptomatic and free of complications, and the disease potentially reversible. Ultimately, the LiverScreen study will serve as a basis from which diagnostic pathways can be developed and adapted to the specific socio-economic and healthcare conditions in each country. This study is registered on (). The online version contains supplementary material available at 10. 1186/s12889-022-13724-6.
Grants:	Instituto de Salud Carlos III PI18/00862 Instituto de Salud Carlos III PI18/01330 Instituto de Salud Carlos III PI18/00662
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Cirrhosis ; Screening ; Liver fibrosis ; Chronic liver disease ; NAFLD ; NASH ; Vibration-controlled transient elastography
Published in:	BMC public health, Vol. 22 (july 2022) , ISSN 1471-2458

Article original: 10.1186/s12889-022-13724-6
Erratum: 10.1186/s12889-023-15867-6
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13724-6
PMID: 35854275

10 p, 1.5 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut d'Investigació en Ciencies de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP)
Articles > Research articles
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