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