Direct marker of fibrosis
Hyaluronic acid is produced by stellate cells of the liver and destroyed by sinusoidal endothelial cells. With fibrosis, synthesis increases, and clearance decreases - the concentration in the blood increases in proportion to the stage of the process. Unlike ALT and AST, which only indicate cell damage, hyaluronic acid specifically reflects the accumulation of connective tissue. It is part of the ELF test (Enhanced Liver Fibrosis), a panel of three direct markers, a recognized alternative to liver biopsy for chronic hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic injury. The indicator also increases with rheumatoid arthritis and after eating, so blood is donated strictly on an empty stomach.
How to prepare to donate blood
- on an empty stomach 8–12 hours, you can drink water
- Eliminate alcohol and intense exercise per day
- no smoking in an hour
- donate blood before physiotherapy, x-rays and massage
- Take medications in advance by agreeing with your doctor
How to read the result
Reference values depend on the method and equipment of the laboratory, so it is correct to compare results only within the same laboratory. A deviation of a few percent from the normal limit in itself rarely matters - the overall picture and dynamics are important.
The analysis must be interpreted by a doctor: an isolated indicator without a clinical context is often misleading and leads to unnecessary examinations.