| Dear Readers of and | | | | A second study looked at whether MRE can |
| Is There an Alternative to Liver Biopsy? | | | | accurately measure portal hypertension, or high blood |
| Those of you who have followed our timely reports | | | | pressure in the portal vein that carries blood from the |
| on hepatitis c know that we endeavor to bring you | | | | digestive track to the liver, usually as a result of |
| updated information about new approaches to the | | | | cirrhosis of the liver. This study involved 35 individuals |
| treatment and diagnosis of this dreadful virus. As the | | | | with varying degrees of chronic liver disease and 12 |
| baby-boomer generation ages, more and more | | | | healthy volunteers. Researchers studied MRE |
| people are now finding out that they have acquired | | | | examinations of liver and spleen stiffness and found |
| the hepatitis c virus. Many do not know when or how | | | | that a highly significant correlation exists between |
| they got the virus, but most people still want sensible | | | | liver and spleen stiffness in patients with portal |
| and minimally invasive treatments to help them | | | | hypertension. However, the validity of spleen |
| overcome much of the damage caused by the | | | | stiffness as a noninvasive measure of portal venous |
| hepatitis c virus. | | | | pressure requires further study. |
| You already know that one of the tests | | | | This research was funded in part by the National |
| recommended by hepatologists is the liver biopsy. A | | | | Institutes of Health. Co-authors of these studies |
| liver biopsy is the taking of a small sample of liver | | | | include Meng Yin; Roger Grimm; Phillip Rossman; |
| tissue which is extracted usually with a needle and | | | | Armando Manduca, Ph.D.; Patrick Kamath, M.D. and Dr. |
| examined under a microscope. For many years, this | | | | Ehman; all from Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester; |
| method has been considered by hepatologists as the | | | | and Anthony Romano, Ph.D., of the Naval Research |
| gold standard for gauging the extent of liver damage | | | | Laboratory in Washington, D.C. |
| in people with chronic hepatitis. | | | | Most of the people who are afraid of the liver biopsy |
| Of course, liver biopsies are not without complications | | | | are the same people who shutter at the thought of |
| and many people with hepatitis c are reluctant to | | | | having to take interferon chemotherapy. Many others |
| undergo the procedure. There can be pain involved; | | | | have undergone the interferon treatment and have |
| drug users in particular may legitimately fear that | | | | relapsed. Now they are looking for an alternative way |
| they will not get adequate pain medication. In | | | | with relatively no side-effects, because they swear |
| addition, liver biopsies are contra-indicated for some | | | | they will NEVER undergo interferon treatment again. |
| people (for example, people with low platelet counts). | | | | For those who do not already know us by name, we |
| Furthermore, biopsy complications can occur, including | | | | are Samglo Enterprises LTD, and we are the makers |
| excessive bleeding and infection. And even under the | | | | of Nu-Liver herbal remedy for hepatitis C. |
| best of circumstances, biopsies fail to accurately | | | | The Chinese people cannot afford the cost of biopsy |
| diagnose the stage of liver fibrosis about 20% of the | | | | or interferon treatment. Perhaps this is a blessing in |
| time. Thus, researchers have sought other markers | | | | disguise. They have, instead, followed a course of |
| that could signal liver damage without the need for | | | | herbal therapy that extends well over 5,000 years. |
| biopsy. | | | | Because of the huge amount of time the Chinese |
| In our first report, we told you about the availability | | | | have spent treating individuals with herbs, we have |
| of HCV FIBROSURE, a non-invasive blood test for | | | | to now assume that the Chinese have gotten very |
| assessing liver status in hepatitis C virus patients. | | | | good using herbs and herbal treatments. |
| Developed in France, HCV Fibrosure is only available in | | | | And so they have. Presently, over 1 million Chinese |
| the United States through LabCorp. But now, two | | | | individuals are taking the Nu-Liver formulation for their |
| recent Mayo Clinic studies have found that magnetic | | | | hepatitis C liver disease. Science is continuing to |
| resonance elastography (MRE), a new imaging | | | | evolve and better and safer methods are hopefully |
| technique invented at Mayo Clinic, is an accurate tool | | | | just around the corner. But we must be alive in order |
| for non-invasive diagnosis of liver diseases. | | | | to receive these new scientific findings. That is our |
| Here's how MRE works. The liver responds to many | | | | purpose at Samglo Enterprises: to keep you alive, to |
| diseases that damage its cells by developing scar | | | | keep the hepatitis c virus from doing further harm to |
| tissue or fibrosis. MRE uses a modified form of | | | | your liver, so that when science catches up with the |
| magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to accurately | | | | virus, you will be there to receive the newer |
| measure the hardness or elasticity of the liver. By | | | | treatments. |
| applying vibrations to the liver, MRE obtains pictures | | | | We want you ALIVE, and functioning normally until |
| of the mechanical waves passing through the organ. | | | | that time comes. We will not accept treatments that |
| The wave pictures are then processed to generate a | | | | are worse than the disease itself, that destroy the |
| quantitative image of tissue stiffness. "Healthy liver | | | | host in an attempt to kill the virus. Until there are |
| tissue is very soft, while a liver with fibrosis is firmer, | | | | safer, more practical, economical, and side-effect |
| and a liver with cirrhosis is almost rock-hard," says | | | | free western treatments to cure hepatitis c, we |
| Richard Ehman, M.D., lead researcher on the MRE | | | | believe that NU-LIVER is the best eastern treatment, |
| project. "If detected early, fibrosis of the liver can be | | | | virtually side-effect free remedy in today's |
| treated, but once the disease has progressed to | | | | marketplace. The Chinese must be doing something |
| cirrhosis, the condition is irreversible." | | | | right. We are thankful to the Chinese Medical Doctor |
| In one study involving MRE examinations of 57 | | | | who brought Nu-Liver to the United States, and also |
| individuals with chronic liver disease and 20 healthy | | | | to the tens of thousands of Americans, Europeans, |
| volunteers, the researchers confirmed that MRE | | | | and Australians,who currently take Nu-Liver for their |
| accurately detects fibrosis with high sensitivity and | | | | hepatitis C. |
| specificity. | | | | As always, we wish you the Best of Health. |