Table 3 Comparison between liver biopsy and serum markers

Cost

Expensive

Laboratory cost

Risks

Significant

Minimal

Contraindications

Multiple: bleeding diathesis, morbid obesity, ascites, extrahepatic biliary obstruction

Conditions with a high rate of false positivity

Accuracy

80%

60–80%

System requirements

Operator, pathology laboratory, pathologist

Clinical laboratory, phlebotomy, materials.

Specimen adequacy

Length of the liver fragment at least 15 mm with 6–8 portal tracts

Blood sample

False positives

Interobserver variability

Sepsis, nonhepatic inflammation, hemolysis, trombocitopenia

False negatives

Sampling variability

Varies per test

Time for results

24–72 h minimum

1–2 h minimum