Torp N, Israelsen M, Nielsen MJ, et al. - Healthy persons and patients with liver-disease both exhibited an acute burst of PRO-C3 (interstitial matrix formation marker) after a binge drinking episode. No correlation was found between markers of hepatic extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and markers of ECM formation, implying that excessive hepatic fibrogenesis is promoted by even a single episode of binge drinking.

• This is a pathophysiological intervention study including 15 non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients, 15 alcohol-related liver disease patients and 10 healthy controls, to determine the impacts on hepatic ECM turnover after a binge drinking episode.

• Increase in PRO-C3 by 1.2 ng/mL (10%, P<0.001) was noted 24 hours following binge drinking.

• In those with existing liver fibrosis ascertained by increased baseline PRO-C3, there was an elevation in hepatic levels by 0.09 ng/mL while systemic PRO-C3 reduced 0.11 ng/mL in 3-hours.

• Liver-diseased patients with F0-F1 exhibited elevation in PRO-C8 by 30% (+0.9 ng/mL, P=0.014); this was not found in any other group.

• 24-hour alterations in systemic C3M and PRO-C3 were not linked.