Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) Test
Test Mnemonic
ELIVFB
CPT Codes
- 81517 - QTY (1)
Aliases
- NAFLD
Includes
- Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) Score
Performing Laboratory
LabCorp
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mL | Serum | SST (Gold) | Refrigerated | Allow specimen to clot completely at room temperature. Separate serum from cells ASAP or within 2 hours of collection. |
Alternate Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mL | Serum | No additive (Red) | Refrigerated | Allow specimen to clot completely at room temperature. Separate serum from cells ASAP or within 2 hours of collection and transfer to standard aliquot tube. |
Minimum Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mL |
Stability
| Environmental Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Refrigerated | After separation from cells: 7 days |
| Frozen | After separation from cells: 1 year (Stable x4 freeze/thaw cycles) |
| Ambient | After separation from cells: 48 hours |
Days Performed
Varies
Turnaround Time
4 - 7 days
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Immunochemiluminometric Assay |
Special Info
Hemolyzed specimens will be rejected.
Clinical Info
This test is useful as a prognostic marker in conjunction with other laboratory findings and clinical assessments in patients with advanced fibrosis (F3 or F4) due to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), now called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), to assess the likelihood of progression to cirrhosis and liver-related clinical events. It can be used routinely for the same patient over time.
Clinical Limitation
ELF scores may be influenced by age and gender. Even in an apparently healthy cohort of individuals, a small proportion showed ELF scores beyond the 9.8 cut-off value, emphasizing that lower values need to be interpreted with caution. Heterophilic antibodies in human serum can react with reagent immunoglobulins and interfere with immunoassays.