Liquid biopsy in chronic liver disease

Abstract

Chronic liver diseases account for a considerable toll of incapacities, suffering, deaths, and resources of the nation's health systems. They can be prevented, treated or even cured when the diagnosis is made on time. Traditional liver biopsy remains the gold standard to diagnose liver diseases, but it has several limitations. Liquid biopsy is emerging as a superior alternative to surgical biopsy given that it surpasses the limitations: it is more convenient, readily and repeatedly accessible, safe, cheap, and provides a more detailed molecular and cellular representation of the individual patient's disease. Progress in understanding the molecular and cellular bases of diseased tissues and organs that normally release cells and cellular components into the bloodstream is catapulting liquid biopsy as a source of biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of therapeutic response, thus supporting the realization of the promises of precision medicine. The review aims to summarize the evidence of the usefulness of liquid biopsy in liver diseases, including the presence of different biomarkers as circulating epithelial cells, cell-free nucleic acids, specific species of DNA and RNA, and the content of extracellular vesicles.

Keywords: Cell-free DNA; Circulating epithelial cells; Liquid biopsy; Liver diseases; MicroRNAs.