Biomarkers of Cholestasis

Abstract

Cholestasis is a major pathological manifestation, often resulting in detrimental liver conditions, which occurs in a variety of indications collectively termed cholestatic liver diseases. The frequent asymptomatic character and complexity of cholestasis, together with the lack of a straightforward biomarker, hampers early detection and treatment of the condition. The ‘omics’ era, however, has resulted in a plethora of cholestatic indicators, yet a single clinically applicable biomarker for a given cholestatic disease remains missing. The criteria to fulfil as an ideal biomarker as well as the challenging molecular pathways in cholestatic liver diseases advocate for a scenario in which multiple biomarkers, originating from different domains, will be assessed concomitantly. This review gives an overview of classical clinical and novel molecular biomarkers in cholestasis, focusing on their benefits and drawbacks.

Keywords:

• biomarker
• cholestasis
• liver
• omics

Author contributions

A Pieters: writing of the manuscript; E Gijbels: reviewing of the manuscript; B Cogliati: reviewing of the manuscript; P Annaert: reviewing of the manuscript; L Devisscher: reviewing of the manuscript; M Vinken: conceiving of the original idea, supervision of the project, reviewing of the manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This study was financially supported by the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders (FWO Vlaanderen grants G009514N and G010214N), the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP-FWO grant 18/10953-9), the University Hospital of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel–Belgium (Willy Gepts Fonds UZ-Brussel) and the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing at Johns Hopkins University – USA (grant 2018-13). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This study was financially supported by the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders (FWO Vlaanderen grants G009514N and G010214N), the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP-FWO grant 18/10953-9), the University Hospital of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel–Belgium (Willy Gepts Fonds UZ-Brussel) and the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing at Johns Hopkins University – USA (grant 2018-13). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.