Parameter
| Biomarker | Bilirubin (including total Bilirubin, direct bilirubin, and indirect bilirubin) | Full name | Bilirubin (total, direct, indirect) | Molecular Type | Metabolites (hemoglobin metabolites) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molecular Formula | Molecular Weight | Core Functional Dimensions | Assessment of liver function, determination of cholestasis, and grading of disease severity | ||
| Disease | Liver Cirrhosis | Disease Subtypes | / | ||
| Organ | Liver | Test Sample / Technology Platform | Serum (biochemical analyzer, using diazo method, vanadate oxidation method, etc.) | ||
| Pathobiological Mechanisms | Bilirubin is mainly derived from the metabolism of hemoglobin after the destruction of red blood cells. It needs to be taken up, combined (converted to direct bilirubin) and excreted by the liver. In liver cirrhosis, on the one hand, liver cell damage leads to the decrease of bilirubin uptake and binding function and the increase of indirect bilirubin. On the other hand, intrahepatic bile ducts are compressed, bile excretion pathway is blocked (such as cirrhosis with intrahepatic cholestasis), and direct bilirubin excretion is impaired, resulting in increased direct bilirubin, and ultimately often manifested as increased total bilirubin (direct bilirubin and indirect bilirubin can be elevated at the same time or a dominant type). Bilirubin level is one of the important indicators Child - Pugh, grading, continue to rise prompted increased risk of liver failure. | ||||
| Clinical Availability Status | Clinical routine use: as a core marker for liver function assessment, disease classification and prognosis judgment of liver cirrhosis, it is included in the Child-Pugh scoring system, and the clinical detection and interpretation system is mature. | ||||
| Notes and Dynamics | Bilirubin can comprehensively reflect the metabolic function and biliary excretion of liver cells in patients with liver cirrhosis, and is an important indicator to judge the severity of liver function damage and prognosis, especially for patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis (such as jaundice). It has irreplaceable value in monitoring the disease. However, it should be noted that non-cirrhotic factors such as hemolytic diseases, biliary stones/tumors may also lead to elevated bilirubin, which should be combined with hepatobiliary imaging examinations (such as abdominal ultrasound, CT) and other liver function indicators for comprehensive identification. | ||||