CK 18 Test

Cytokeratin 18 (CK 18) is a simple non invasive test that accurately distinguishes (NASH) nonalchoholic steatohepatitis from (NAFLD) non alcoholic fatty liver disease. Cytokeratins are proteins of intermediate filaments that contain keratin found in the intracytoplasmic cytoskeleton of epithelial tissue. Liver biopsy being the best standard for diagnosing NASH has its share of limitations. Therefore it is urgent and important to conduct a non invasive test that can accurately distinguish NASH from simple steatosis. NAFLD has become a very common but important problem due to its prevalence and progression to severe liver disease. It refers to excessive amount of lipid in the liver. In some individuals it progresses to NASH.

There is no particular drill that you need to follow for this test. An expert pathologist extracts a minimal amount of blood from a clearly visible vein from your arm. Therefore it is advisable to wear clothes accordingly i.e. a short sleeve dress or shirt or a t-shirt is recommended. There are no restrictions on having food before this test. However, some other tests might require fasting may be for 2 or more hours wherein you will be advised earlier. It is best to follow the instructions given to you by the lab assistant.

It helps to give a better understanding of a patient’s condition related to liver damage and the severity of the disease. CK 28 is basically a biomarker to detect developing fibrosis. A few symptoms are: Inflammation of the liver Cell ballooning and fibrosis Diagnosed liver cirrhosis Significant decrease in hemoglobin Helps the doctor decide whether or not the patient requires a liver transplant or can be cured with medicines or other medical interventions.

The expert will make you sit comfortably first so that you should not shake off suddenly due to the prick. A tight band will be tied at the upper arm to restrict the blood flow and direct it towards the lower arm. The expert will then examine the area behind your elbow to find the visible and prominent veins. A cotton swab dipped in spirit is used to clean the area to draw the blood from. Finally a needle is inserted through the vein and a syringeful of blood is drawn out and stored in a test tube with your name labeled on it. This sample of blood is then sent to the laboratory for investigation.