The DRG Diagnostic Laboratory developed a Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF) Elisa which allows for clinical-value measurement in serum of CTGF in patients with chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and chronic liver disease.  CTGF is linked to the histological degree of liver fibrosis.  

The findings on the development of CTGF as a non-invasive bio-marker for HCV and liver fibrosis were published by:

a) Gressner, A.M., E. Yagmur, B. Lahme, O. Gressner,S. Stanzel. Connective Tissue Growth Factor in Serum as a New Candidate Test for Assessment of Hepatic Fibrosis. Clin. Chem. 52 (2006) 1815-1817.

b) Kovalenko, E., F. Tacke, O.A. Gressner, H.W. Zimmermann, B. Lahme, A. Janetzko, T. Wiederholt, T. Berg, T. Müller, C. Trautwein, A.M. Gressner, and R. Weiskirchen. Validation of Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF/CCN2) and Its Gene Polymorphisms as Non-Invasive Biomarkers for the Assessment of Liver Fibrosis. J. Viral Hepatitis (2008) DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2893.2009.01110.x.

Dr. Alfred Janetzko, Director of the DRG diagnostics facility in Marburg, Germany, is a co-author of the paper under whose guidance the sandwich Elisa assay was developed.

For more information, please contact DRG International at corp@drg-international.com.