Increased liver stiffness measurement by transient elastography in severe acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B

Dynamic Changes in ELF Score Predict Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients Receiving Antiviral Treatment

Enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) score is a noninvasive assessment for liver fibrosis. We aimed to evaluate the performance of changes in ELF score 3 years apart in combination with liver stiffness measurement (LSM)-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) score to predict HCC in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. This is a prospective cohort study. Patients who underwent transient elastography (TE) examinations and at intermediate or high risk of HCC defined by LSM-HCC score were invited to repeat the examination about 3 years later. Their serum samples at these two time points were retrieved to assess the ELF score changes. The primary endpoint was HCC. There were 445 CHB patients (males: 73.9%; mean age: 51.6 ± 10.3 years) who received two TE examinations and ELF scores. Among them, 252 (56.6%) and 193 (43.4%) patients were at intermediate and high HCC risk at first assessment defined by LSM-HCC score, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the changes in ELF score could stratify the HCC risk in both intermediate- and high-risk patients defined by LSM-HCC score (p < 0.001 for intermediate-risk group; p = 0.011 for high-risk group). Patients remained having mild or moderate fibrosis at both assessments had the lowest risk of HCC (4.0%), followed by patients with fibrosis regressed (11.3%; p = 0.014) during a mean follow-up of 163 months. Patients remained having or progressed to severe fibrosis were at highest risk of HCC (> 20%). Consistent findings were demonstrated in patients at both intermediate and high risk of HCC defined by LSM-HCC score. Dynamic changes in ELF score provided additional value to LSM-HCC score for stratifying HCC risk in CHB patients.

WFUMB Guideline/Guidance on Liver Multiparametric Ultrasound: Part 1. Update to 2018 Guidelines on Liver Ultrasound Elastography

The World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB) endorsed the development of this document on multiparametric ultrasound. Part 1 is an update to the WFUMB Liver Elastography Guidelines Update released in 2018 and provides new evidence on the role of ultrasound elastography in chronic liver disease. The recommendations in this update were made and graded using the Oxford classification, including level of evidence (LoE), grade of recommendation (GoR) and proportion of agreement (Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine [OCEBM] 2009). The guidelines are clinically oriented, and the role of shear wave elastography in both fibrosis staging and prognostication in different etiologies of liver disease is discussed, highlighting advantages and limitations. A comprehensive section is devoted to the assessment of portal hypertension, with specific recommendations for the interpretation of liver and spleen stiffness measurements in this setting.

Noninvasive tests for liver fibrosis in 2024: are there different scales for different diseases?

Liver fibrosis is the common pathway from various chronic liver diseases and its progression leads to cirrhosis which carries a significant risk for the development of portal hypertension-related complications and hepatocellular carcinoma. It is crucial to identify and halt the worsening of liver fibrosis given its important prognostic implication. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for assessing the degree of liver fibrosis but is limited due to its invasiveness and impracticality for serial monitoring. Many noninvasive tests have been developed over the years trying to assess liver fibrosis in a practical and accurate way. The tests are mainly laboratory- or imaging-based, or in combination. Laboratory-based tests can be derived from simply routine blood tests to patented laboratory parameters. Imaging modalities include ultrasound and magnetic resonance elastography, in which vibration-controlled transient elastography is the most widely validated and adopted whereas magnetic resonance elastography has been proven the most accurate liver fibrosis assessment tool. Nonetheless, noninvasive tests do not always apply to all liver diseases, nor does a common cut-off value of a test mean the same degree of liver fibrosis in different scenarios. In this review, we discuss the diagnostic and prognostic performance, as well as the confounders and limitations, of different noninvasive tests on liver fibrosis assessment in various liver diseases.

A Surprising Case of Triple Acute Hepatitis Infection

Viral hepatitis continues to be the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, but the burden has significantly diminished thanks to the large-scale use of vaccines and antivirals. However, there are still challenges regarding viral hepatitis management, especially when more than one pathogenic agent is involved. We present the case of a 45-year-old woman who had a simultaneous infection involving three hepatitis viruses: HAV, HBV, and HEV.

Baveno VII criteria identify varices needing treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma of different Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stages

BACKGROUND

Baveno VII criteria for predicting varices needing treatment (VNT) have not been tested in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) population. We evaluated Baveno VII consensus for VNT in HCC patients of different stages according to Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages undergoing curative hepatectomy.

METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study of patients with HCC. Patients underwent transient elastography examination before HCC treatment and received at least one upper endoscopic examination afterwards. Patients were prospectively followed for clinical events including VNT.

RESULTS

Six hundred and seventy-three patients (83.1% male, median age 62 years) with HCC of BCLC stage 0 (10%), A (57%), B (17%) and C (15%) were recruited and followed for 47 months. The median (range) LSM was 10.5 (6.9-20.4) kPa; 74% had LSM ≤ 20 kPa and 58% had platelet count ≥150 × 10/L, respectively. VNT occurred in 51 (7.6%) patients. In patients who fulfilled Baveno VII criteria, that is, LSM ≤ 20 kPa and platelet count above 150 × 10/L, only 11 (1.6%) patients had VNT. In all BCLC stages of HCC, the proportion of patients with VNT was below 5%, which support the validity and applicability of Baveno VII criteria in all BCLC stages of HCC.

CONCLUSIONS

The Baveno VII criteria are valid and applicable in HCC patients undergoing curative hepatectomy for selecting patients to undergo screening endoscopy for VNT. The validity was consistent across different BCLC stages of HCC.

Magnetic resonance imaging improves stratification of fibrosis and steatosis in patients with chronic liver disease

PURPOSE

We aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transient elastography (TE) in assessing liver fibrosis and steatosis in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD).

METHODS

Patients who underwent liver biopsy or liver surgery at two academic hospitals between 2017 and 2021 were retrospectively recruited. The stages of liver fibrosis and steatosis were evaluated using histologic examination. Liver stiffness (LS) was assessed using MR elastography (LS_MRE) and TE (LS_TE). Liver steatosis was assessed using proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP).

RESULTS

The mean age of the study population (n = 280) was 53.6 years and male sex predominated (n = 199, 71.1%). Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was the most prevalent (n = 127, 45.5%), followed by hepatitis B virus (n = 112, 40.0%). Hepatocellular carcinoma was identified in 130 patients (46.4%). The proportions of F0, F1, F2, F3, and F4 fibrosis were 13.2%, 31.1%, 9.6%, 16.4%, and 29.7%, respectively. LS_MRE had a significantly greater AUROC value than LS_TE for detecting F2-F4 (0.846 vs. 0.781, P = 0.046), whereas LS_MRE and LS_TE similarly predicted F1-4, F3-4, and F4 (all P > 0.05). The proportions of S0, S1, S2, and S3 steatosis were 34.7%, 49.6%, 12.5%, and 3.2%, respectively. PDFF had significantly greater AUROC values than CAP in predicting S1-3 (0.922 vs. 0.806, P < 0.001) and S2-3 (0.924 vs. 0.795, P = 0.005); however, PDFF and CAP similarly predicted S3 (P = 0.086).

CONCLUSION

MRI exhibited significantly higher diagnostic accuracy than TE for detecting significant fibrosis and mild or moderate steatosis in patients with CLD.

Feedback loop between hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α and endoplasmic reticulum stress mitigates liver injury by downregulating hepatocyte apoptosis

Hepatocyte nuclear factor alpha (HNF1α), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and hepatocyte apoptosis contribute to severe acute exacerbation (SAE) of liver injury. Here, we explore HNF1α–ER stress-hepatocyte apoptosis interaction in liver injury. LO2, HepG2 and SK-Hep1 cells were treated with thapsigargin (TG) or tunicamycin (TM) to induce ER stress. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) was used to induce acute liver injury in mice. Low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exacerbated liver injury in CCl₄-induced mice. Significant apoptosis, HNF1α upregulation, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation were observed in human-derived hepatocytes during ER stress. Knockdown of Rela, NF-κB p65, inhibited the HNF1α upregulation. Following CCl₄ treatment ER stress, apoptosis, HNF1α expression and RelA phosphorylation were significantly increased in mice. HNF1α knockdown reduced activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) expression, and aggravated ER stress as well as hepatocyte apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. The double fluorescent reporter gene assay confirmed that HNF1α regulated the transcription of ATF4 promoter. LPS aggravated CCl₄-induced liver injury and reduced HNF1α, and ATF4 expression. Therefore, in combination, HNF1α and ER stress could be mutually regulated forming a feedback loop, which helps in protecting the injured liver by down-regulating hepatocyte apoptosis. Low-dose LPS aggravates hepatocyte apoptosis and promotes the SAE of liver injury by interfering with the feedback regulation of HNF1α and ER stress in acute liver injury.

Validation of the EVendo score for the prediction of varices in cirrhotic patients

BACKGROUND

Screening endoscopy for varices may be deferred when the calculated EVendo score is ≤3.90. This novel score has not been validated in an external cohort. This study aimed to assess the performance of the EVendo score and compare it with the Baveno VI criteria.

METHODS

We identified and calculated this score in all cirrhotic patients who underwent screening endoscopy for the first time with laboratory tests and liver stiffness measurements within 6 months of the endoscopy date.

RESULTS

In total, 103 patients were included. An EVendo score of ≤3.90 identified patients with no gastroesophageal varices (GEV) and varices needing treatment (VNT) with sensitivities of 82% and 83% and specificities of 57% and 34%, respectively. The negative predictive value for VNT was 94%. A comparison with the Baveno VI criteria in Child-Turcotte-Pugh-A patients showed spared endoscopy and missed VNT rates with EVendo score cutoffs of ≤3.9 and ≤4.5 and the Baveno VI criteria of 25%, 33%, and 16.6% and 1.7%, 1.7%, and 0%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

EVendo score is reliable in clinical practice for predicting GEV and VNT. The number of spared endoscopies was higher than that with the Baveno VI criteria; however, there were more missed VNT cases.

Non-invasive tests of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

ABSTRACT

For the detection of steatosis, quantitative ultrasound imaging techniques have achieved great progress in past years. Magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction is currently the most accurate test to detect hepatic steatosis. Some blood biomarkers correlate with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, but the accuracy is modest. Regarding liver fibrosis, liver stiffness measurement by transient elastography (TE) has high accuracy and is widely used across the world. Magnetic resonance elastography is marginally better than TE but is limited by its cost and availability. Several blood biomarkers of fibrosis have been used in clinical trials and hold promise for selecting patients for treatment and monitoring treatment response. This article reviews new developments in the non-invasive assessment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Accumulating evidence suggests that various non-invasive tests can be used to diagnose NAFLD, assess its severity, and predict the prognosis. Further studies are needed to determine the role of the tests as monitoring tools. We cannot overemphasize the importance of context in selecting appropriate tests.

Screening for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Chronic Hepatitis B: An Update

(1) Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an important cause of mortality in individuals with chronic hepatitis B infection, with screening of high-risk groups recommended in all major international guidelines. Our understanding of the risk factors involved has improved over time, encouraging researchers to develop models that predict future risk of HCC development. (2) Methods: A literature search of the PubMed database was carried out to identify studies that derive or validate models predicting HCC development in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Subsequently, a second literature search was carried out to explore the potential role of novel viral biomarkers in this field. (3) Results: To date, a total of 23 models have been developed predicting future HCC risk, of which 12 have been derived from cohorts of treatment-naïve individuals. Most models have been developed in Asian populations (n = 20), with a smaller number in Caucasian cohorts (n = 3). All of the models demonstrate satisfactory performance in their original derivation cohorts, but many lack external validation. In recent studies, novel viral biomarkers have demonstrated utility in predicting HCC risk in patients with chronic hepatitis B, amongst both treated and treatment-naïve patients. (4) Conclusion: Several models have been developed to predict the risk of HCC development in individuals with chronic hepatitis B infection, but many have not been externally validated outside of the Asian population. Further research is needed to refine these models and facilitate a more tailored HCC surveillance programme in the future.

Diagnostic Performance of Shear Wave Elastography in the Noninvasive Evaluation of Liver Inflammation of Chronic Hepatitis B Patients

ABSTRACT

In the current study, we sought to delineate the elastographic characteristics and further compare the diagnostic performance of various shear wave elastography modalities in hepatitis B virus patients whose liver fibrosis stage was less than F2 by liver biopsy. We retrospectively studied the clinical and imaging data of chronic hepatitis B virus patients who underwent liver biopsy at our hospital between January 2017 and October 2017. Totally, 102 patients were eligible for the study. The mean Young modulus of sound touch elastography (STE) and sound touch quantify (STQ) gradually increased as inflammation grade of the liver rose from G0 to G3. Spearman rank correlation analysis revealed that the mean Young modulus of STE and STQ significantly correlated with hepatic inflammation grade (r = 0.341, P < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was the highest for the mean Young modulus of STE (AUC = 0.740; P = 0.015) followed by that of STQ (AUC = 0.684; P = 0.063) for G ≥ 2 hepatic inflammation and the AUC was the highest for the mean Young modulus of STE (AUC = 0.920; P = 0.000) followed by that of STQ (AUC = 0.910; P = 0.000) for G ≥ 3 hepatic inflammation. The current study demonstrated that the mean Young modulus of STE and STQ could serve as a useful diagnostic marker for hepatic inflammation of hepatitis B virus patients with no apparent liver fibrosis.

Noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis for predicting acute-on-chronic liver failure in patients with chronic hepatitis B

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of serum markers of liver fibrosis for predicting progression to acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in patients with acute exacerbation (AE) and severe AE (SAE) of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

METHODS

The predictive accuracy of aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), Fibrosis-4, Lok index, and Forns index for progression to ACLF was evaluated via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the ROC (AUROC) in 441 and 130 patients with AE and SAE.

RESULTS

After admission, 24 (5.8%) and 25 (19.2%) patients with AE and SAE, respectively, progressed to ACLF. The Lok index was one of the independent risk factors associated with progression to ACLF in patients with AE and SAE. The AUROC of Lok index for diagnosing liver cirrhosis was 0.815 (0.774-0.851) in patients with AE and 0.715 (0.629-0.791) in patients with SAE. The AUROC of Lok index for predicting progression to ACLF in patients with AE and SAE was 0.756 (0.711-0.797) and 0.866 (0.795-0.919), respectively. In patients with AE and SAE, the cut-off values of the Lok index for predicting ACLF were higher and lower, respectively, than those for diagnosing liver cirrhosis.

CONCLUSION

The Lok index has predictive accuracy regarding progression to ACLF in patients with AE and SAE. Different thresholds of liver fibrosis are needed for determining progression to ACLF in patients with different severity of liver injury during acute exacerbation of chronic HBV infection.

A Nomogram Predicting the Prognosis of Children With Biliary Atresia After Hepatoportoenterostomy

Background: Although Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE) is performed timely for most children with biliary atresia (BA), the native liver survival (NLS) is still poor due to the progressive liver fibrosis. Many children have to receive liver transplantation (LT) within 2 years after KPE. Early prediction of the prognosis permits the implementation of prophylactic treatments for BA children. However, studies about the prediction are limited. Objective: The purpose of this study is to establish a nomogram to predict the prognosis of BA children within 2 years after KPE. Methods: The follow-up data of 151 BA children were retrospectively reviewed, and were randomly divided into a training cohort for constructing a nomogram (n = 103) and a validation cohort (n = 48). In the training cohort, patients were divided into Group A and Group B according to whether death or LT were observed within 2 years post-KPE. Multivariate Cox regression based on the baseline characteristics, liver function indicators and LSM (liver stiffness measurement) values at KPE and 3 months after KPE was utilized for the establishment of the nomogram in predicting the prognosis of BA within 2 years after KPE. The discrimination and calibration of the nomogram were internally and externally validated. Results: Fifty-six BA children were included in Group A and 47 were included in group B. Age at KPE, METAVIR score F4, LSM at 3 months, first onset of cholangitis within 3 months, and jaundice clearance time were the independent predictors for the prognosis of BA children within 2 years after KPE (all P < 0.05). The developed nomogram based on these independent predictors showed good discrimination and calibration by the internal and external validation. Its performance was better than each predictor in predicting the prognosis (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: The established nomogram based on the indicators from the first 3 months after KPE may be useful for predicting the prognosis of BA children within 2 years post-KPE and helpful for the consideration of LT.

Validation and Refinement of the Baveno VI Criteria for Ruling Out High-Risk Varices

In the past decade, numerous studies have evaluated the roles of noninvasive methods for diagnosing or excluding varices and high-risk varices in patients with liver cirrhosis. The Baveno VI criteria recommend the use of a simple algorithm based on a liver stiffness measurement < 20 kPa through transient elastography and a platelet count > 150 × 10⁹/L for ruling out high-risk varices in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease. A large number of studies have validated the clinical usefulness of Baveno VI criteria for excluding high-risk varices. Several strategies have been proposed to refine the Baveno VI criteria; however, currently there is no review to summarize the diagnostic accuracy and limitations of the Baveno VI criteria after extensive validation. In this review, we summarize the diagnostic accuracy and limitations of the Baveno VI criteria after extensive validation. We also discuss methods to refine these criteria.

Confounding factors of non-invasive tests for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects at least 25% of the general adult population worldwide. Because only a fraction of the patients would develop liver-related complications, it is preferable to perform non-invasive tests as the initial assessment. This review summarizes the known and potential confounding factors that affect the performance of non-invasive tests of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. Clinicians may apply the knowledge and exercise caution in selecting investigations and interpreting test results when confounding factors are present.

Application of transient elastography in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. Although it has become one of the leading causes of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in the Western world, the proportion of NAFLD patients developing these complications is rather small. Therefore, current guidelines recommend non-invasive tests for the initial assessment of NAFLD. Among the available non-invasive tests, transient elastography by FibroScan^® (Echosens, Paris, France) is commonly used by hepatologists in Europe and Asia, and the machine has been introduced to the United States in 2013 with rapid adoption. Transient elastography measures liver stiffness and the controlled attenuation parameter simultaneously and can serve as a one-stop examination for both liver steatosis and fibrosis. Liver stiffness measurement also correlates with clinical outcomes and can be used to select patients for varices screening. Although obesity is a common reason for measurement failures, the development of the XL probe allows successful measurements in the majority of obese patients. This article reviews the performance and limitations of transient elastography in NAFLD and highlights its clinical applications. We also discuss the reliability criteria for transient elastography examination and factors associated with false-positive liver stiffness measurements.

Liver stiffness and serum markers for excluding high-risk varices in patients who do not meet Baveno VI criteria

BACKGROUND

The Baveno VI criteria for predicting esophageal varices, i.e., liver stiffness measurement (LSM) < 20 kPa and platelet (PLT) count > 150 × 10⁹/L, identify patients who can safely avoid gastroscopy screening. However, they require further refinement.

AIM

To evaluate the utility of LSM and serum markers of liver fibrosis in ruling out high-risk varices (HRV) in patients who do not meet Baveno VI criteria.

METHODS

Data from 132 patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related compensated liver cirrhosis who did not meet the Baveno VI criteria were retrospectively reviewed. MedCalc 15.8 was used to calculate receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and the accuracy of LSM, PLT count, aspartate aminotransferase (AST)-to-PLT ratio index, Fibrosis-4, and the Lok index in predicting HRV were evaluated according to the area under each ROC curve (AUROC). The utility of LSM, PLT, and serum markers of liver fibrosis stratified by alanine transaminase (ALT) and total bilirubin (TBil) levels was evaluated for ruling out HRV.

RESULTS

In all patients who did not meet the Baveno VI criteria, the independent risk factors for HRV were LSM and ALT. Only the AUROC of Lok index was above 0.7 for predicting HRV, and at a cutoff value of 0.4531 it could further spare 24.2% of gastroscopies without missing HRVs. The prevalence of HRV was significantly lower in patients with ALT or TBil ≥ 2 upper limit of normal (ULN) (14.3%) than in patients with both ALT and TBil < 2 ULN (34.1%) (P = 0.018). In the 41 patients with ALT and TBil < 2 ULN, LSM had an AUROC for predicting HRV of 0.821. LSM < 20.6 kPa spared 39.0% of gastroscopies without missing HRVs. In the 91 patients with ALT or TBiL ≥ 2 ULN, the Lok index and PLT had AUROCs of 0.814 and 0.741, respectively. Lok index ≤ 0.5596 or PLT > 100 × 10⁹/L further spared 39.6% and 43.9% of gastroscopies, respectively, without missing HRVs.

CONCLUSION

In HBV-related compensated cirrhosis patients who do not meet Baveno VI criteria, the LSM, PLT, or Lok index cutoff stratified by ALT and TBil accurately identifies more patients without HRV.

Improvement in enhanced liver fibrosis score and liver stiffness measurement reflects lower risk of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The Liver stiffness measurement hepatocellular carcinoma (LSM-HCC) score predicts HCC accurately in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

AIM

To assess the ability of LSM-HCC combined with enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) score to predict HCC in CHB patients who received anti-viral treatment.

METHODS

CHB patients who had transient elastography examinations in 2006-2013 with intermediate and high risk of HCC by LSM-HCC score (ie 11 or above) were assessed by repeat transient elastography at least 3 years later. ELF score was assessed by retrieving the stored serum samples 4 weeks within transient elastography examination. The primary endpoint was the cumulative incidence of HCC.

RESULTS

A total of 453 CHB patients (mean age 51.7 ± 10.3 years; male 74.4%) were recruited, 45 patients (9.9%) developed HCC during the mean follow-up of 56 months. Regarding LSM-HCC score, 71.4%, 24.3% and 4.3% of patients had LSM-HCC score improved, remained static and deteriorated respectively; whereas 36.9%, 57.8% and 5.3% of patients had ELF score improved, remained static and deteriorated respectively. The sensitivity (86.7%) and negative predictive value (NPV) (95.3%) of combined LSM-HCC and ELF score were higher than that of each score alone. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that ELF score would help further differentiate the HCC risk in patients with intermediate risk by LSM-HCC score (P = 0.026), but not in patients with high risk by LSM-HCC score (P = 0.770).

CONCLUSIONS

The two-step algorithm combining LSM-HCC score and ELF score could improve the accuracy of predicting HCC of CHB patients receiving anti-viral treatment.

Improvements in the management of chronic hepatitis B virus infection

The primary goals of managing chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are prevention of liver-related complications and reduction of mortality. Universal vaccination has dramatically reduced the incidence of new infection, but the management of existing CHB patients are still challenging. Areas covered: This review compares the similarities and differences among the latest published regional guidelines on the indications and choices of antiviral therapy. We have summarized advances in virological biomarkers and non-invasive tests for liver fibrosis in disease assessment. Benefits and remaining challenges of current standard of care by peginterferon and nucleos(t)ide analogs (NA) have been presented. Data on combination therapy of peginterferon and NA in seeking functional cure of the disease is also critically discussed. We have also described the improvement in the management of CHB at pregnancy and prophylaxis in patients on chemotherapy and immunosuppressants. Expert commentary: Controversies exist in the assessment of disease activity for selection patients for treatment as well as on the use of tenofovir alafenamide as a safe and cost-effective alternative to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. Though combination therapy of peginterferon and NA has induced HBsAg seroclearance in a small proportion of patients, peginterferon is not preferred in the future trend of drug development.

Combination of Transient Elastography and an Enhanced Liver Fibrosis Test to Assess the Degree of Liver Fibrosis in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

Background/Aims

Liver stiffness (LS) was assessed using transient elastography, and the enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) test was performed to accurately assess fibrotic burden. We validated the LS-ELF algorithm and investigated whether the sequential LS-ELF algorithm performs better than concurrent combination of these analyses in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

Methods

Between 2009 and 2013, 222 CHB patients who underwent liver biopsy (LB), as well as LS measurement and the ELF test, were enrolled.

Results

Advanced fibrosis (≥F3) and cirrhosis (F4) were identified in 141 (63.6%) and 118 (53.2%) patients, respectively. Areas under receiver operating characteristic curve for LS predictions of ≥F3 (0.887 vs 0.703) and F4 (0.853 vs 0.706) were significantly higher than the ELF test (all p＜0.001). Based on the LS-ELF algorithm, 60.4% to 71.6% and 55.7% to 66.3% of patients could have avoided LB to exclude ≥F3 and F4, respectively, whereas 68.0% to 78.7% and 63.5% to 66.1% of patients could have avoided LB to confirm ≥F3 and F4, respectively. When confirmation and exclusion strategies were applied simultaneously, 69.4% to 72.5% and 60.8% to 65.3% of patients could have avoided LB and been diagnosed as ≥F3 and F4, respectively. The proportion of patients who correctly avoided LB for the prediction of ≥F3 (69.4% to 72.5% vs 42.3% to 59.0%) and F4 (60.8% to 65.3% vs 23.9% to 49.5%) based on the sequential LS-ELF algorithm was significantly higher than the concurrent combination (all p＜0.05).

Conclusions

The sequential LS-ELF algorithm conferred a greater probability of avoiding LB in CHB patients to diagnose advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis, and this test performed significantly better than the concurrent combination.

The role of imaging in prediction of post-hepatectomy liver failure

Post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is not only a leading cause of mortality but also a leading cause of life-threatening complications in patients undergoing liver resection. The ability to accurately detect the emergence of PHLF represents a crucially important step. Currently, PHLF can be predicted by a comprehensive evaluation of biological, clinical, and anatomical parameters. With the development of new technologies, imaging methods including elastography, diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-enhanced MRI play a more significant role in the pre-operative prediction and assessment of PHLF. In this review, we summarize the mainstream studies, with the aim of evaluating the role of imaging and improving the clinical value of existing scoring systems for predicting PHLF.

Non-invasive assessments for liver fibrosis: The crystal ball we long for

Non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis has been one of the most rapidly advancing fields in hepatology in the last decade. Progressive liver fibrosis results in cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and various liver-related complications in essentially all chronic liver diseases. Assessment of liver fibrosis allows clinicians to determine the prognosis, need of treatment, disease progression, and response to treatment in patients with chronic liver disease. Liver biopsy has been the gold standard in last few decades and most adopted diagnostic tool in clinical trials. Nonetheless, it is impractical to apply the test in a large number of patients or to do it serially. Hence, various non-invasive assessments have been developed and adopted in some international management guidelines. Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) with transient elastography is one of the most widely validated non-invasive assessments for liver fibrosis. It is an accurate and reproducible method to predict advanced fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B. Using transient elastography, it is possible to perform repeated liver fibrosis assessments on a large number of asymptomatic patients. The key challenge of his tool is the confounding effect of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level, such that decrease in LSM may only reflect ALT normalization, hence not accurate enough to indicate regression of liver fibrosis. This may be partially handled by combining LSM with a serum-based formula, which is independent of ALT such as the Forns index and enhanced liver fibrosis test. An LSM-based HCC risk score is useful to prioritize patients for HCC surveillance.

Quantitative Elastography Methods in Liver Disease: Current Evidence and Future Directions

Chronic liver diseases often result in the development of liver fibrosis and ultimately, cirrhosis. Treatment strategies and prognosis differ greatly depending on the severity of liver fibrosis, thus liver fibrosis staging is clinically relevant. Traditionally, liver biopsy has been the method of choice for fibrosis evaluation. Because of liver biopsy limitations, noninvasive methods have become a key research interest in the field. Elastography enables the noninvasive measurement of tissue mechanical properties through observation of shear-wave propagation in the tissue of interest. Increasing fibrosis stage is associated with increased liver stiffness, providing a discriminatory feature that can be exploited by elastographic methods. Ultrasonographic (US) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging elastographic methods are commercially available, each with their respective strengths and limitations. Here, the authors review the technical basis, acquisition techniques, and results and limitations of US- and MR-based elastography techniques. Diagnostic performance in the most common etiologies of chronic liver disease will be presented. Reliability, reproducibility, failure rate, and emerging advances will be discussed. ^© RSNA, 2018 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Diverse correlations between fibrosis-related factors and liver stiffness measurement by transient elastography in chronic hepatitis B

BACKGROUND

Several fibrosis-related factors influence liver stiffness measurements (LSM); however, these changes have not been investigated in the context of the various disease stages of chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

AIM

The aim of this study was to assess the correlations between fibrosis-related factors and LSM in different disease stages of CHB.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with mild CHB (n=305) and cirrhotic hepatitis B (cirrhotic HB) (n=137) were compared with determine the relationship between LSM and fibrosis-related factors including parameters of liver inflammation [aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), total bilirubin (Tbil)], albumin, globulin, peripheral blood cells (neutrophil granulocytes, red blood cells, platelets), abdominal ultrasound B-scan parameters including right liver thickness, portal vein inradium, diameter of spleen (DS), thickness of spleen (TS), and splenic vein inradium (SV).

RESULTS

In patients with mild CHB, LSM was correlated strongly with ALT (r=0.3534, P<0.0001), AST (r=0.3976, P<0.0001), and ALT+AST (r=0.3760, P<0.0001). LSM was correlated closely with Tbil (r=0.2237, P<0.0001), albumin (r=-0.3126, P<0.0001), albumin/globulin (r=-0.3086, P<0.0001), SV (r=0.3317, P<0.0001), DS (r=0.4157, P<0.0001), and spleen volume (DS×TS) (r=-0.4399, P<0.0001). Red blood cells were correlated negatively with LSM in both mild CHB and cirrhotic HB patients (r=-0.1981, P=0.0203; r=-0.1593, P=0.0053). LSM was not correlated with age, peripheral blood cell parameters, right liver thickness, portal vein inradium, or TS in mild CHB or cirrhosis HB patients. However, in patients with cirrhotic HB, LSM values were not correlated significantly with other fibrosis-related factors, except for Tbil (r=0.2272, P=0.0076).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that the magnitude of these correlations differs significantly between mild CHB and cirrhotic HB patients.

Clinical Application of Vibration Controlled Transient Elastography in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

Evaluation of the extent and progression of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis is of critical importance in the management and prognosis of patients with chronic hepatitis B. Due to the limitation of liver biopsy, non-invasive methods, especially liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by vibration controlled transient elastography, have been developed and widely applied for liver fibrosis assessment. LSM aims to reduce, but not to substitute, the need for liver biopsy for fibrosis/cirrhosis diagnosis. While LSM may have potential utility in monitoring treatment response, its applications in prediction of liver complications in terms of portal hypertension and esophageal varices, as well as disease prognosis, have been gradually validated. Here, we review the latest clinical applications of LSM in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Noninvasive assessment of hepatic sinusoidal obstructive syndrome using acoustic radiation force impulse elastography imaging: A proof-of-concept study in rat models

OBJECTIVES

To determine the feasibility of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography in the evaluation of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) in rat models.

METHODS

Rat SOS models of various severities were created by monocrotaline gavage (n = 40) or by intraperitoneal injection of 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) (n = 16). Liver shear-wave velocity (SWV) was measured using ARFI elastography. Liver samples were analysed for the SOS score, steatosis, lobular inflammation and fibrosis.

RESULTS

The liver SWV was significantly elevated in the SOS models (1.29-2.24 m/s) compared with that of the matched control rats (1.01-1.09; p≤.09; veFor seven FOLFOX-treated rats which were longitudinally followed-up, the liver SWV significantly increased at 7 weeks (1.32±0.13 m/s) compared with the baseline (1.08±0.1 m/s, p=.015) and then significantly declined after a 2-week, treatment-free period (1.15±0.13 m/s; p=.048). Multivariate analysis revealed that the SOS score (p<.001) and lobular inflammation (p=.044) were independently correlated with the liver SWV.

CONCLUSION

Liver SWV is elevated in SOS in proportion to the degree of sinusoidal injury and lobular inflammation in rat SOS models. ARFI elastography has potential as an examination for diagnosis, severity assessment and follow-up of SOS.

KEY POINTS

• Liver SWV using ARFI elastography was significantly elevated in SOS rat. • Sinusoidal injury and lobular inflammation grades had correlation with liver SWV. • ARFI elastography has potential for diagnosis, severity assessment, and follow-up of SOS.

Validity criteria for the diagnosis of fatty liver by M probe-based controlled attenuation parameter

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) can be performed together with liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by transient elastography (TE) and is often used to diagnose fatty liver. We aimed to define the validity criteria of CAP.

METHODS

CAP was measured by the M probe prior to liver biopsy in 754 consecutive patients with different liver diseases at three centers in Europe and Hong Kong (derivation cohort, n=340; validation cohort, n=414; 101 chronic hepatitis B, 154 chronic hepatitis C, 349 non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, 37 autoimmune hepatitis, 49 cholestatic liver disease, 64 others; 277 F3-4; age 52±14; body mass index 27.2±5.3kg/m²). The primary outcome was the diagnosis of fatty liver, defined as steatosis involving ≥5% of hepatocytes.

RESULTS

The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUROC) for CAP diagnosis of fatty liver was 0.85 (95% CI 0.82-0.88). The interquartile range (IQR) of CAP had a negative correlation with CAP (r=-0.32, p<0.001), suggesting the IQR-to-median ratio of CAP would be an inappropriate validity parameter. In the derivation cohort, the IQR of CAP was associated with the accuracy of CAP (AUROC 0.86, 0.89 and 0.76 in patients with IQR of CAP <20 [15% of patients], 20-39 [51%], and ≥40dB/m [33%], respectively). Likewise, the AUROC of CAP in the validation cohort was 0.90 and 0.77 in patients with IQR of CAP <40 and ≥40dB/m, respectively (p=0.004). The accuracy of CAP in detecting grade 2 and 3 steatosis was lower among patients with body mass index ≥30kg/m² and F3-4 fibrosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The validity of CAP for the diagnosis of fatty liver is lower if the IQR of CAP is ≥40dB/m. Lay summary: Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is measured by transient elastography (TE) for the detection of fatty liver. In this large study, using liver biopsy as a reference, we show that the variability of CAP measurements based on its interquartile range can reflect the accuracy of fatty liver diagnosis. In contrast, other clinical factors such as adiposity and liver enzyme levels do not affect the performance of CAP.

Th17/Treg imbalance is an indicator of liver cirrhosis process and a risk factor for HCC occurrence in HBV patients

OBJECTIVE

To determine the impact of T helper 17 cell (Th17)/regulatory T cell (Treg) ratio imbalance on the process and prognosis of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver cirrhosis.

METHODS

Patients with HBV who refused to accept any therapy from were recruited from 2009 to 2014 and followed-up to August 2016. Based on a liver stiffness measurement (LSM), the patients were divided into a low LSM group and a high LSM group. After propensity score matching, 150 patients were included. The peripheral blood of all subjects was tested using a flow cytometer to measure the Th17 and Treg cell frequencies and the Th17/Treg ratio. Spearman rank correlation, log-rank test, Cox regression model, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were applied to analyze the correlation between the Th17/Treg ratio and LSM level and the risk factors of HCC occurrence and to predict the Th17/Treg ratio for the LSM level.

RESULTS

Th17 and Treg cell frequencies and the Th17/Treg ratio were significantly different between the low and high LSM groups. The Th17/Treg ratio showed a strong positive association with LSM level (r=0.631, P<0.01). Furthermore, the Th17/Treg ratio was an independent factor influencing the HCC occurrence, which was tested using a Cox regression model. The area under the ROC curve of the Th17/Treg ratio for predicting LSM level was 0.783 (95% CI 0.705-0.861).

CONCLUSION

Th17/Treg ratio imbalance is an indicator of the liver cirrhosis process and a risk factor for HCC occurrence in patients infected with HBV.

Diagnostic value of FIB-4, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index and liver stiffness measurement in hepatitis B virus-infected patients with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase

AIM

To assess the diagnostic value of FIB-4, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in patients with hepatitis B virus infection who have persistently normal alanine transaminase (PNALT).

METHODS

We enrolled 245 patients with chronic hepatitis B: 95 in PNALT group, 86 in intermittently elevated alanine transaminase (PIALT1) group [alanine transaminase (ALT) within 1-2 × upper limit of normal value (ULN)], and 64 in PIALT2 group (ALT > 2 × ULN). All the patients received a percutaneous liver biopsy guided by ultrasonography. LSM, biochemical tests, and complete blood cell counts were performed.

RESULTS

The pathological examination revealed moderate inflammatory necrosis ratios of 16.81% (16/95), 32.56% (28/86), and 45.31% (28/64), and moderate liver fibrosis of 24.2% (23/95), 33.72% (29/86), and 43.75% (28/64) in the PNALT, PIALT1, and PIALT2 groups, respectively. The degrees of inflammation and liver fibrosis were significantly higher in the PIALT groups than in the PNALT group (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in the areas under the curve (AUCs) between APRI and FIB-4 in the PNALT group; however, significant differences were found between APRI and LSM, and between FIB-4 and LSM in the PNALT group (P < 0.05 for both). In the PIALT1 and PIALT2 groups, no significant difference (P > 0.05) was found in AUCs for all comparisons (P > 0.05 for all). In the overall patients, a significant difference in the AUCs was found only between LSM and APRI (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

APRI and FIB-4 are not the ideal noninvasive hepatic fibrosis markers for PNALT patients. LSM is superior to APRI and FIB-4 in PNALT patients because of the influence of liver inflammation and necrosis.

Application of the combined FibroMeter vibration-controlled transient elastography algorithm in Chinese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The FibroMeter vibration-controlled transient elastography (FM VCTE) is a new formula combining the serum test FM and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by VCTE. We tested the accuracy and utility of FM VCTE for fibrosis staging in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

METHODS

Two hundred fifteen NAFLD patients with LSM, FM NAFLD, FM VCTE, and other serum tests (aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index, fibrosis-4 index, BARD score, NAFLD fibrosis score, and aspartate aminotransferase-to-alanine aminotransferase ratio) performed 1 day before liver biopsy were evaluated.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine (32.1%) and 43 (20.0%) patients had F2-4 and F3-4, respectively. LSM had higher diagnostic accuracy (area under receiver-operating characteristics curves [AUROC] 0.851 for F2-4, 0.940 for F3-4; Obuchowski index 0.937 ± 0.007) than all evaluated serum tests, while FM NAFLD was the most accurate serum test (AUROC 0.775 and 0.774; Obuchowski index 0.891 ± 0.013). FM VCTE had similar accuracy to LSM (AUROC 0.855 and 0.901; Obuchowski index 0.927 ± 0.009). LSM had excellent negative predictive values of 92.4% and 99.2% to exclude F2-4 and F3-4, but the positive predictive values (PPV) were only 71.4% and 61.0%, respectively. In patients with high LSM, the use of FM VCTE improved the PPV from 71.4% to 84.4% for F2-4 and from 61.0% to 88.9% for F3-4. Liver biopsy could be spared in around 50-65% of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Liver stiffness measurement alone can confidently exclude significant and advanced fibrosis in NAFLD patients. Using FM VCTE in patients with high liver stiffness can increase the positive predictive value to rule in F2-4 and F3-4.

Invasive and non-invasive assessment of portal hypertension

Portal hypertension is the central driver of complications in patients with chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis. The diagnosis of portal hypertension has important prognostic and clinical implications. In particular, screening for varices in patients with portal hypertension can effectively reduce the morbidity and mortality of variceal bleeding. In this article, we review the invasive and non-invasive methods to assess portal hypertension. Hepatic venous pressure gradient remains the gold standard to measure portal pressure but is invasive and seldom performed outside expert centers and research settings. In recent years, a number of non-invasive tests of fibrosis have shown good correlation with liver histology. They also show promise in identifying patients with portal hypertension and large varices. As a result, the latest Baveno VI consensus guidelines endorse the use of liver stiffness measurement by transient elastography and platelet count as initial assessment to select patients for varices screening. On the other hand, the performance of non-invasive tests in assessing the response to non-selective beta-blockers or transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting is either suboptimal or unclear.

Noninvasive scoring system for significant inflammation related to chronic hepatitis B

Although a liver stiffness measurement-based model can precisely predict significant intrahepatic inflammation, transient elastography is not commonly available in a primary care center. Additionally, high body mass index and bilirubinemia have notable effects on the accuracy of transient elastography. The present study aimed to create a noninvasive scoring system for the prediction of intrahepatic inflammatory activity related to chronic hepatitis B, without the aid of transient elastography. A total of 396 patients with chronic hepatitis B were enrolled in the present study. Liver biopsies were performed, liver histology was scored using the Scheuer scoring system, and serum markers and liver function were investigated. Inflammatory activity scoring models were constructed for both hepatitis B envelope antigen (+) and hepatitis B envelope antigen (-) patients. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and area under the curve were 86.00%, 84.80%, 62.32%, 95.39%, and 0.9219, respectively, in the hepatitis B envelope antigen (+) group and 91.89%, 89.86%, 70.83%, 97.64%, and 0.9691, respectively, in the hepatitis B envelope antigen (-) group. Significant inflammation related to chronic hepatitis B can be predicted with satisfactory accuracy by using our logistic regression-based scoring system.

Optimization of hepatitis B cirrhosis detection by stepwise application of transient elastography and routine biomarkers

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Significant inflammation may overestimate liver stiffness and result in false positive diagnosis by transient elastography for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) cirrhosis detection. This study tries to further improve the performance by stepwise combination with routine biomarkers.

METHODS

A total of 236 compensated CHB patients with alanine transferase lower than five times upper limit of normal, liver biopsies, transient elastography, and routine blood tests were included. Performance of stepwise combination of transient elastography and routine biomarkers was analyzed.

RESULTS

The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for detecting cirrhosis was 0.876 for transient elastography, 0.794 for fibrosis index based on the four factors (FIB-4), 0.765 for age-platelet index (API), 0.715 for aspartate aminotransferase-platelet ratio index (APRI), and 0.661 for alanine-aspartate aminotransferase ratio, respectively. The numbers for significant fibrosis were 0.844, 0.662, 0.595, 0.695, and 0.510 in the same order. The proportion of patients determined as cirrhosis or non-cirrhosis was 66.5% by transient elastography, 41.1% by FIB-4, 14.4% by API, and 24.2% by APRI, respectively; the numbers for significant fibrosis were 55.5% by transient elastography, 11.9% by APRI, and none by the other serum markers. Stepwise combination of transient elastography and FIB-4/APRI increased positive predictive value of confirming cirrhosis diagnosis from 0.677 to 0.808 and 0.724, respectively; and the proportion of patients being determined in the state of cirrhosis and obviating liver biopsy was up to 76%.

CONCLUSION

By transient elastography-based stepwise combination with readily available serum markers, performance of detecting compensated CHB cirrhosis could be significantly improved in terms of diagnosis accuracy and proportion of obviating liver biopsy.

Comparison of Two-Dimensional Shear Wave Elastography and Real-Time Tissue Elastography for Assessing Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis B

BACKGROUND

Noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis has important clinical significance. Different techniques including two-dimensional shear-wave elastography (2D SWE) and real-time tissue elastography (RTE) are reported to be useful for the noninvasive diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis. All these techniques are affected by many factors. How to choose a reasonable method needs further studies.

PURPOSE

This study was conducted to comparatively assess the diagnostic performance of 2D SWE and RTE in patients with Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) and influence of inflammation on the stiffness values obtained by both techniques, so as to objectively assess the reasonable choice between these 2 elastography techniques for noninvasive assessment of hepatic fibrosis in clinical practice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Four-hundred and thirty-seven patients with CHB meeting the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent liver stiffness measurements by using 2D SWE and RTE on the same day. Histologic fibrosis was staged and inflammation activity was graded based on the METAVIR scoring system on liver biopsy specimens.

RESULTS

The liver stiffness values by using 2D SWE and RTE both increased in parallel with the degree of liver fibrosis and the grade of inflammation. However, the diagnostic efficacy of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis using 2D SWE was significantly higher than that of RTE. The 2D SWE measurement values were statistically different in different alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and METAVIR activity grades; however, no statistically significant differences were observed by using RTE. The diagnostic efficacy of 2D SWE significantly varied with elevated ALT levels compared with RTE.

CONCLUSION

2D SWE was more accurate than RTE in the assessment of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with CHB. Compared with RTE, the measurement values and diagnostic performance obtained by 2D SWE were prone to be more easily affected by the inflammation fluctuations.

Hepatitis C Treatment and Barriers to Eradication

Current treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is highly efficacious, well-tolerated, and of short duration for the majority of patients. Despite the dramatic advances in therapy, there remain several barriers to disease eradication. These include deficiencies in screening, diagnosis, and access to care, and high cost of the direct-acting antiviral medications. In addition, incident cases and reinfection associated with injection drug use contribute to the persistent worldwide disease burden. This article will review the current CHC treatments, and outline the remaining gaps in therapy and barriers to disease eradication.

Combining routine markers improves the accuracy of transient elastography for hepatitis B cirrhosis detection

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Vibration Controlled Transient Elastography (VCTE) is a non-invasive test for liver fibrosis and cirrhosis but may be inaccurate in some patients, especially in those with chronic hepatitis B. This study aims at improving the accuracy of VCTE in cirrhosis detection by combining ultrasound and routine blood parameters.

METHODS

Hepatitis B patients with liver biopsies samples ≥20mm underwent VCTE, ultrasound and blood tests, and were divided into training set (n=170) and validation set (n=75).

RESULTS

An algorithm consisting of VCTE, international normalization ratio (INR), ultrasonic hepatic vessel and platelet count (CIR-4) and a VCTE-based cirrhosis six-index score (CIR-6) comprised VCTE, INR, platelet, albumin, ultrasonic hepatic vessel and liver parenchyma were derived. In training set, area under receiver operating characteristics curve of CIR-6 and CIR-4 to detect cirrhosis was 0.946 and 0.945, respectively, which was superior to that of VCTE 0.907. CIR-4 could save more liver biopsies. In validation set, CIR-6 detected cirrhosis with accuracy similar to that in training set. However, the sensitivity of CIR-4 and VCTE in validation set lowered to 0.538 and 0.846, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Combining routine markers improve the accuracy of VCTE for cirrhosis detection in hepatitis B patients. CIR-6 may be more valuable.

Imaging Based Methods of Liver Fibrosis Assessment in Viral Hepatitis: A Practical Approach

Liver fibrosis represents the repair mechanism in liver injury and is a feature of most chronic liver diseases. The degree of liver fibrosis in chronic viral hepatitis infections has major clinical implications and presence of advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis determines prognosis. Treatment initiation for viral hepatitis is indicated in most cases of advanced liver fibrosis and diagnosis of cirrhosis entails hepatology evaluation for specialized clinical care. Liver biopsy is an invasive technique and has been the standard of care of fibrosis assessment for years; however, it has several limitations and procedure related complications. Recently, several methods of noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis have been developed which require either serologic testing or imaging of liver. Imaging based noninvasive techniques are reviewed here and their clinical use is described. Some of the imaging based tests are becoming widely available, and collectively they are shown to be superior to liver biopsy in important aspects. Clinical utilization of these methods requires understanding of performance and quality related parameters which can affect the results and provide wrong assessment of the extent of liver fibrosis. Familiarity with the strengths and weaknesses of each modality is needed to correctly interpret the results in appropriate clinical context.

Can we use HCC risk scores to individualize surveillance in chronic hepatitis B infection?

Chronic hepatitis B is one of the leading causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. Accurate prediction of HCC risk is important for decisions on antiviral therapy and HCC surveillance. In the last few years, a number of Asian groups have derived and validated several HCC risk scores based on well-known risk factors such as cirrhosis, age, male sex and high viral load. Overall, these scores have high negative predictive values of over 95% in excluding HCC development in 3 to 10 years. The REACH-B score was derived from a community cohort of non-cirrhotic patients and is better applied in the primary care setting. In contrast, the GAG-HCC and CU-HCC scores were derived from hospital cohorts and include cirrhosis as a major integral component. While the latter scores may be more applicable to patients at specialist clinics, the diagnosis of cirrhosis based on routine imaging and clinical parameters can be inaccurate. To this end, recent developments in non-invasive tests of liver fibrosis may further refine the risk prediction. The application of HCC risk scores in patients on antiviral therapy and in other ethnic groups should be evaluated in future studies.

Influence of Hepatic Inflammation on FibroScan Findings in Diagnosing Fibrosis in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

Hepatic inflammation may affect the performance of FibroScan. This prospective study investigated the influence of hepatic inflammation on liver stiffness measurement (LSM) values by assessing FibroScan and liver biopsy findings in 325 patients with chronic hepatitis B. Liver fibrosis and inflammation were classified into five stages (S0-S4) and grades (G0-G4) according to the Scheuer scoring system. LSM values were correlated with fibrosis stage and inflammation grade (r = 0.479, p < 0.001, and r = 0.522, p < 0.001, respectively). Although LSM values increased in parallel with inflammation grade, no significant differences were found between patients with significant fibrosis (S2-S4) (p > 0.05). For inflammation grades G0, G1, G2 and G3, areas under receiver operating characteristic curves of FibroScan for significant fibrosis were 0.8267 (p < 0.001), 0.6956 (p < 0.001), 0.709 (p = 0.0012) and 0.6947 (p = 0.137), respectively. Inflammation has a significant influence on LSM values in patients with chronic hepatitis B with mild fibrosis, but not in those with significant fibrosis.

Probability-based interpretation of liver stiffness measurement in untreated chronic hepatitis B patients

BACKGROUND

Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by transient elastography is a popular noninvasive test of fibrosis. Traditional LSM cutoffs dichotomize patients and do not clearly indicate the confidence of diagnosis.

AIM

We derived and validated probability functions of fibrosis and cirrhosis based on LSM and determined the effect of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) on the scores.

METHODS

Consecutive chronic hepatitis B patients who underwent liver function tests, LSM, and liver biopsies at six European and Asian centers (2/3 in the training cohort and 1/3 in the validation cohort) were recruited. Binary logistic regression was performed to predict the probabilities of different fibrosis stages based on LSM and/or ALT.

RESULTS

A total of 1,051 patients were included in the final analysis (53 % with ALT ≥ 60 IU/L, 32 % F2, 20 % F3, and 24 % F4). The probability functions (LiFA-HBV score) with and without ALT adjustment closely mirrored the proportion with different fibrosis stages in both the training and validation cohorts. For a range of up to 300 IU/L, ALT maintained a weak linear relationship with LSM for each fibrosis stage (r (2) = 0.018-0.13). Based on relative integrated discrimination improvement, the addition of ALT to the LiFA-HBV score increased the correct reclassification of F3-4 and F4 by 5 and 17 %, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

ALT increases LSM in a linear fashion in chronic hepatitis B patients at any fibrosis stage. The LiFA-HBV score accurately predicts the probability of fibrosis. ALT adjustment increases the rate of reclassification modestly and is not essential.

Noninvasive assessments of liver fibrosis with transient elastography and Hui index predict survival in patients with chronic hepatitis B

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The prognostic role of noninvasive assessments of liver fibrosis has been evolving. Our aim was to investigate the prognostic value of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) with transient elastography and serum-based Hui index to predict hepatic events and deaths in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

METHODS

The main prospective cohort included 1555 consecutive CHB patients referred for transient elastography examination; a subgroup of 980 patients underwent follow-up assessments at least 3 years later formed the serial cohort. Cox proportional hazard model was performed to determine the relationship of LSM, Hui index and other clinical variables with hepatic events and deaths.

RESULTS

During a mean follow-up of 69 ± 9 months, 119 patients (7.6%) developed hepatic events or deaths. Hepatic event-free survival was significantly decreased with increasing stages of LSM and Hui index. The 5-year cumulative probability of hepatic event-free survival of patients of Stage 1-7 of LSM were 99.3%, 98.8%, 95.7%, 90.9%, 89.6%, 74.6%, and 50.0%, respectively; that of Stage 1 to 3 of Hui index were 98.2%, 93.1%, and 77.5%, respectively. Independent predictors of hepatic event-free survival were age, baseline LSM, and follow-up Hui index. Serum ALT and body mass index affected the accuracy of prediction by LSM. Patients remained early stages of LSM or Hui index at follow-up visit had better survival compared to those remained at late stages.

CONCLUSION

Baseline and change in noninvasive parameters of liver fibrosis, LSM and Hui index, are accurate to predict hepatic event-free survival in CHB patients.

Noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B

Infection with hepatitis B virus is an important health problem worldwide: it affects more than 350 million people and is a leading cause of liver-related morbidity, accounting for 1 million deaths annually. Hepatic fibrosis is a consequence of the accumulation of extracellular matrix components in the liver. An accurate diagnosis of liver fibrosis is essential for the management of chronic liver disease. Liver biopsy has been considered the gold standard for diagnosing disease, grading necroinflammatory activity, and staging fibrosis. However, liver biopsy is unsuitable for repeated evaluations because it is invasive and can cause major complications, including death. Several noninvasive evaluations have been introduced for the assessment of liver fibrosis: serum biomarkers, combined indices or scores, and imaging techniques including transient elastography, acoustic radiation force impulse, real-time tissue elastography, and magnetic resonance elastography. Here, we review the recent progress of noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Most noninvasive evaluations for liver fibrosis have been validated first in patients with chronic hepatitis C, and later in those with chronic hepatitis B. The establishment of a noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis is urgently needed to aid in the management of this leading cause of chronic liver disease.

Diagnostic usefulness of real-time elastography for liver fibrosis in chronic viral hepatitis B and C

The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic usefulness of real-time elastography (RTE) for liver fibrosis in chronic viral hepatitis B (CHB) and C (CHC). Fifty-one and thirty-two of the patients were diagnosed with CHB and CHC, respectively. Enrolled patients underwent liver biopsy and RTE. The FIB-4 index and aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) were also measured. The liver fibrosis index (LFI) by RTE increased significantly with the Knodell fibrosis stage: 3.14 ± 0.62 for F0, 3.28  ±  0.42 for F1, 3.43  ±  0.53 for F3, and 4.09  ±  1.03 for F4 (P = 0.000). LFI as well as APRI, FIB-4, platelet, albumin, and prothrombin time showed the difference in patients with advanced fibrosis (≥F3) and those with mild fibrosis (≤F1). In addition, RTE had better discrimination power between ≥F3 and F4 than between FIB-4 and APRI. In CHC patients, the area under receiver operating characteristic curves of RTE for advanced fibrosis was higher than that in CHB patients (0.795 versus 0.641). RTE is useful for the assessment of advanced fibrosis in patients with CHB and CHC and has better discrimination power than other serologic markers.

Noninvasive diagnosis of cirrhosis: A review of different imaging modalities

Progressive hepatic fibrosis can lead to cirrhosis, so its early detection is fundamental. Staging fibrosis is also critical for prognosis and management. The gold standard for these aims is liver biopsy, but it has several drawbacks, as it is invasive, expensive, has poor acceptance, is prone to inter observer variability and sampling errors, has poor repeatability, and has a risk of complications and mortality. Therefore, non-invasive imaging tests have been developed. This review mainly focuses on the role of transient elastography, acoustic radiation force impulse imaging, and magnetic resonance-based methods for the noninvasive diagnosis of cirrhosis.