According to Dr. David Speechly, determining which patient will develop liver damage as a result of hepatitis C is basically a "flip of a coin." Doctors will look at several factors to try to determine a patient's risk of developing liver disease, including age, gender and alcohol consumption. Liver biopsies, too, are often done to determine the current amount of damage done to the liver, but it cannot predict how much damage will occur in the future.
Celera's test checks for seven genetic variations that seem to increase a patient's risk of developing cirrhosis. In a study, researchers found that those with these genetic variations and particular lifestyle factors, like alcohol consumption, are more than eight times as likely to develop cirrhosis than a patient without either. The results of the study were presented at the annual meeting of The European Association for the Study of the Liver.
Currently, if a doctor does suspect that a patient will develop cirrhosis, he will likely prescribe a combination of medications that can top $30,000 a year and cause major side effects, including chronic flu-like symptoms and nausea. Therefore, if a genetic test can pinpoint which patients truly need treatment, it could prevent unnecessary pain and expense.
"This study confirms that the genetic makeup of each patient is the most important factor in determining which patients are likely to develop [cirrhosis of the liver]," said Dr. Mitchell L. Schiffman, study author and chief of hepatology of the liver transplant program at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center.
Celera Genomics is currently seeking FDA approval for this test, which is estimated to cost around $1,000.
