Scheme Information Sheets
Liver Fibrosis Markers
| Scheme Particulars | Indicative Details |
|---|---|
| Accreditation body | UKAS |
| ISO/IEC Accreditation status | ISO/IEC 17043:2023 |
| UKAS Accredited Proficiency Testing Provider No | 7860 |
| Objective of Scheme | Provides EQA coverage for Liver Fibrosis Markers as part of the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) test. Hyaluronic acid (HA), procollagen III amino terminal peptide (PIIINP) and tissue matrix metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) are measured and used to calculate the ELF score. The ELF score can be used to aid the diagnosis and assess severity of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease. Its use is recommended by NICE in guideline NG49: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): assessment and management. The Scheme distributes a number of endogenous and manipulated specimens to cover concentrations in health and liver disease |
| Pre-, Analytical, Post- status | Analytical |
| Number of distributions per year (nominal) | 11 |
| Specimens per distribution | 3 |
| Number of Specimens per annum | 33 |
| Frequency of distribution | Monthly |
| Scoring system | ABC |
| Material distributed | Pooled or single donations of liquid human serum with or without exogenous added analyte |
| Programme Director(s) / Organiser(s) | Rachel Marrington |
| Criteria for participation | All, but overseas by courier |
| Nominal sample volume (mL) | 1 |
| Sample presentation TACs | All analytes in the same tube |
| Data in Chemistry on-line Dashboard | Yes |
| Analyte | Approx Range | Default Units | Target Value | B Score Limit (%) | C Score Limit (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELF score | 0 – 15 | ~ | ALTM | 20.0 | 20.0 |
| Hyaluronic Acid | 0 – 80 | µg/L | ALTM | 20.0 | 20.0 |
| PIIINP | 0 – 10 | µg/L | ALTM | 20.0 | 20.0 |
| TIMP-1 | 0 – 225 | µg/L | ALTM | 20.0 | 20.0 |
| Abbreviation | Expansion |
|---|---|
| ALTM | All Laboratory Trimmed Mean |
| GLTM | Group Laboratory Trimmed Mean – which is the Method Principle Mean |
| MLTM | Method Laboratory Trimmed Mean – usually a manufacturer system / analyser mean |
| XALTM | An external value that may be from a Reference Method System |
| OGLTM | A Method Principle Mean used as the target for all laboratories |
| OMLTM | A specific Method Mean used as a target for all laboratories |
| OMMED | A Method Median used as the target for all laboratories |
| MED | Median |
This is an area of growth for laboratories, and we would like to work with laboratories and involve them in the development of the service. Please contact Birmingham Quality if you have any ideas of what the Scheme could probe.
