Nikola Baumann, Ph.D., highlights the new NASH-FibroTest, available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories, in a recent “Test in Focus” podcast. The NASH-FibroTest uses three noninvasive tests — NashTest 2, SteatoTest 2, and FibroTest — that allow clinicians to diagnose and make follow-up treatment decisions for patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

This patented test algorithm combines 10 standard biomarkers and is based on the latest, more simplified histological definition of NASH from the Clinical Research Network. The results include a numeric score and a grade or stage for each of the three tests.

“NASH-FibroTest is the newest generation algorithm for assessing fibrosis, NASH, and steatosis in patients,” says Dr. Baumann. “The second-generation NASH test, which is referred to as NashTest 2, is superior to NASH test because it provides a quantitative assessment of inflammation as opposed to a semi-quantitative assessment. The second-generation SteatoTest, referred to as SteatoTest 2, is comparable to the first generation in assessing steatosis, but it has the advantage that the algorithm no longer requires BMI, making it much more convenient to order and easy for laboratories to manage referring this test.”

For more, listen to this “Test in Focus” podcast episode on Mayo Clinic Laboratories Insights.