Noninvasive Breath Test Predicts Survival in Patients with Viral Hepatitis

Presented Monday, November 2, 2009 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time in Boston, MA

ALEXANDRIA, Va. and BOSTON, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- A methacetin breath test
(MBT) that can be performed quickly and noninvasively has been proven to
accurately predict survival in patients with viral hepatitis and may be used
as an adjunctive tool to MELD. "The breath test has to be validated on a large
cohort of patients," said Gadi Lalazar, MD, principal investigator on this
study "but if it is validated, this non invasive liver function test will be
able to identify liver impairment at all stages of liver disease - both acute
and chronic."

MELD (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease) is a scoring system adopted by the
United Network for Organ Sharing to assess liver disease severity and
determining 3-month mortality. Viral hepatitis progresses at an unpredictable
rate and the addition of another way of assessing disease progression can
serve as an important adjunct to MELD.

Researchers studied 395 patients with viral hepatitis. The MBT accurately
predicted survival. Of those patients, 11 had died in the two years in which
data were collected. MBT identified 9 of these 11 patients as being high risk.
Whereas 6 of those 11 deaths occurred in patients with a MELD score less than
15 - patients who were considered at a low risk by the MELD scoring system. In
addition, MBT accurately predicted survival in patients with a higher MELD
score and, therefore, at increased risk as defined by MELD.

They concluded that MBT may increase physicians' ability to identify at-risk
patients and allow those patients to be listed for liver transplantation
earlier than using MELD alone to determine mortality. "We are now conducting
large scale clinical trials to assess the role of the methacetin breath test
for follow up and therapeutic decision making in patients with chronic
hepatitis B and in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease," said Dr. Lalazar.

Abstract title:
The noninvasive 13C methacetin breath test accurately predicts long-term
survival in patients with chronic viral hepatitis and may serve as an
adjunctive tool to MELD: Results of a 395-patient clinical trial

About the AASLD

AASLD is the leading medical society focused solely on advancing the science
and practice of hepatology and represents more than 3,300 practitioners,
researchers, and allied health professionals worldwide. Founded by physicians
in 1950, AASLD has upheld the standards of the profession and fostered
research that generates treatment options for the millions of patients with
liver diseases.

This year's Liver Meeting, held in Boston, Massachusetts, October 30 -
November 3, will bring together more than 7,000 researchers from 55 countries.
A pressroom will be available from October 31 at the annual meeting. For
copies of abstracts and press releases, or to arrange for pre-conference
research interviews contact Gregory Bologna at 703-299-9766. To pre-register,
call Ann Tracy at 703-299-9766.

Press releases, additional information for the media, and all abstracts are
available online at www.aasld.org.

Media Contact: Gregory Bologna
703/299-9766
gbologna@aasld.org
Press Room: October 31 - November 3, 2009
Hynes Convention Center, Room 209
Telephone: (617) 954-2827

Researcher: Gadi Lalazar, MD
Email: lalazar@hadassah.org.il
Phone: 97 202 67777 816

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SOURCE American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases

Gregory Bologna, +1-703-299-9766, gbologna@aasld.org