Impact of skin capsular distance on the performance of controlled attenuation parameter in patients with chronic liver disease

Diagnostic performance of quantitative ultrasonography for hepatic steatosis in a health screening program: a prospective single-center study

PURPOSE

This study compared the diagnostic performance of quantitative ultrasonography (QUS) with that of conventional ultrasonography (US) in assessing hepatic steatosis among individuals undergoing health screening using magnetic resonance imaging-derived proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) as the reference standard.

METHODS

This single-center prospective study enrolled 427 participants who underwent abdominal MRI and US. Measurements included the attenuation coefficient in tissue attenuation imaging (TAI) and the scatter-distribution coefficient in tissue scatter-distribution imaging (TSI). The correlation between QUS and MRI-PDFF was evaluated. The diagnostic capabilities of QUS, conventional B-mode US, and their combined models for detecting hepatic fat content of ≥5% (MRI-PDFF ≥5%) and ≥10% (MRI-PDFF ≥10%) were compared by analyzing the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves. Additionally, clinical risk factors influencing the diagnostic performance of QUS were identified using multivariate linear regression analyses.

RESULTS

TAI and TSI were strongly correlated with MRI-PDFF (r=0.759 and r=0.802, respectively; both P<0.001) and demonstrated good diagnostic performance in detecting and grading hepatic steatosis. The combination of QUS and B-mode US resulted in the highest areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) (0.947 and 0.975 for detecting hepatic fat content of ≥5% and ≥10%, respectively; both P<0.05), compared to TAI, TSI, or B-mode US alone (AUCs: 0.887, 0.910, 0.878 for ≥5% and 0.951, 0.922, 0.875 for ≥10%, respectively). The independent determinants of QUS included skinliver capsule distance (β=7.134), hepatic fibrosis (β=4.808), alanine aminotransferase (β=0.202), triglyceride levels (β=0.027), and diabetes mellitus (β=3.710).

CONCLUSION

QUS is a useful and effective screening tool for detecting and grading hepatic steatosis during health checkups.

Velacur ACE outperforms FibroScan CAP for diagnosis of MASLD

BACKGROUND

As the prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease increases, it is imperative to have noninvasive alternatives to liver biopsy. Velacur offers a non-invasive, point-of-care ultrasound-based method for the assessment of liver stiffness and attenuation. The aim of this study was to perform a head-to-head comparison of liver stiffness and liver fat determined by Velacur and FibroScan using MRI-based measurements as the reference standard.

METHODS

This prospective cross-sectional study included 164 adult participants with well-characterized metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Patients underwent a research exam including Velacur, FibroScan and contemporaneous magnetic resonance elastography, and magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) scans. The primary outcome was the presence of advanced fibrosis (>F2) as measured by magnetic resonance elastography and the presence of liver fat (>5%) as measured by MRI-PDFF.

RESULTS

The mean age and body mass index were 57±12 years and 30.6±4.8 kg/m2, respectively. The mean liver stiffness on magnetic resonance elastography was 3.22±1.39 kPa and the mean liver fat on MRI-PDFF was 14.2±8%. The liver stiffness assessments by Velacur and FibroScan were similar for the detection of advanced fibrosis (AUC 0.95 vs. 0.97) and were not statistically different (p=0.43). Velacur was significantly better than FibroScan (AUC 0.94 vs. 0.79, p=0.01), for the detection of MRI-PDFF >5% (diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease).

CONCLUSIONS

Velacur was superior to FibroScan for liver fat detection with MRI-PDFF as the reference. Velacur and FibroScan were not statistically different for liver stiffness assessment as defined by magnetic resonance elastography.

Non-invasive diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Current status and future perspective

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease throughout the world. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis can result from nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the severe stage of NAFLD progression. By some estimates, NAFLD affects almost one-third of the world's population, which is completely new and serious public health issue. Unfortunately, NAFLD is diagnosed by exclusion, and the gold standard for identifying NAFLD/NASH and reliably measuring liver fibrosis remains liver biopsy, which is an invasive, costly, time-consuming procedure and involves variable inter-observer diagnosis. With the progress of omics and imaging techniques, numerous non-invasive serological assays have been generated and developed. On the basis of these developments, non-invasive biomarkers and imaging techniques have been combined to increase diagnostic accuracy. This review provides information for the diagnosis and assessment of NAFLD/NASH in clinical practice going forward and may assist the clinician in making an early and accurate diagnosis and in proposing a cost-effective patient surveillance. We discuss newly identified and validated non-invasive diagnostic methods from biopsy-confirmed NAFLD patient studies and their implementation in clinical practice, encompassing NAFLD/NASH diagnosis and differentiation, fibrosis assessment, and disease progression monitoring. A series of tests, including 20-carboxy arachidonic acid (20-COOH AA) and 13,14-dihydro-15-keto prostaglandin D2 (dhk PGD2), were found to be potentially the most accurate non-invasive tests for diagnosing NAFLD. Additionally, the Three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (3D-MRE), combination of the FM-fibro index and Liver stiffness measurement (FM-fibro LSM index) and the machine learning algorithm (MLA) tests are more accurate than other tests in assessing liver fibrosis. However, it is essential to use bigger cohort studies to corroborate a number of non-invasive diagnostic tests with extremely elevated diagnostic values.

The Use of Noninvasive Velacur® for Discriminating between Volunteers and Patients with Chronic Liver Disease: A Feasibility Study

Background and Aims

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the leading cause of chronic liver disease globally and can progress to cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Current AASLD, AGA, and ADA guidelines recommend assessment for liver fibrosis in all patients with NAFLD. Serum biomarkers for fibrosis, while widely available, have notable limitations. Imaging-based noninvasive testing for liver fibrosis/cirrhosis is more accurate and is becoming more widespread.

Methods

We evaluated the feasibility of a novel shear wave absolute vibroelastography (S-WAVE) modality called Velacur® for assessing liver stiffness measurement (LSM) for fibrosis and attenuation coefficient estimation (ACE) in differentiating patients with chronic liver disease from normal healthy controls.

Results

Fifty-four healthy controls and 89 patients with NAFLD or cured HCV with a prior known LSM of >8 kPa were enrolled, and all subjects were evaluated with FibroScan® and Velacur®. Velacur® was able to discriminate patients with increased liver stiffness as determined by a FibroScan® score of >8 kPa from healthy controls with an AUC of 0.938 (0.88-0.96). For assessment of steatosis in NAFLD patients only, Velacur® could identify patients with steatosis from healthy controls with an AUC of 0.831 (0.777-0.880). The Velacur® scan quality assessment was superior in healthy controls, as compared to patients, and the scan quality, as assessed by the quality factor (QF) and interquartile range (IQR)/median, was affected by BMI. Velacur® was safe and well tolerated by patients, and there were no adverse events.

Conclusion

Velacur® assessment of liver stiffness measurement and liver attenuation is comparable to results obtained by FibroScan® and is an alternative technology for monitoring liver fibrosis progression in patients with chronic liver disease. This trial is registered with NCT03957070.

Diagnostic value of FibroTouch in identifying hepatic steatosis in NAFLD with MRI-PDFF as the reference standard

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the performance of the FibroTouch-based ultrasound attenuation parameter (UAP) for assessing hepatic steatosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) as the reference standard.

METHODS

This prospective, cross-sectional study included 275 individuals in the training group and 110 individuals in the validation group, all of whom completed a standardized research visit, laboratory tests, MRI-PDFF, and UAP measurements over 1 month. Pearson correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman analysis were used to assess the agreement between UAP and MRI-PDFF for the detection of hepatic steatosis. The diagnostic value of UAP was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUROC). Confounding factors to UAP performance were identified by ROC curves and regression analyses.

RESULTS

The AUROC of UAP for detecting MRI-PDFF at ≥5%, ≥10%, and ≥20% were 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92-0.97), 0.86 (95% CI 0.81-0.90), and 0.90 (95% CI 0.86-0.93), respectively, and their optimal thresholds were 259, 274, and 295 dB/m, respectively. The UAP measurements had higher diagnostic accuracy in participants with lower waist circumference (≤90 cm for men and ≤80 cm for women) compared to those with higher waist circumference (AUROC values: 0.97 vs 0.84, P < 0.05). Bland-Altman analysis showed good agreement between UAP and MRI-PDFF (bias 0.00021). According to established regression analyses, hepatic steatosis could be accurately diagnosed using UAP estimation.

CONCLUSIONS

FibroTouch-UAP has a high diagnostic potential for hepatic steatosis in NAFLD patients and helps clinical assessment and monitoring.

Identifying Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Primary Care: How and for What Benefit?

Despite its increasing prevalence, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains under-diagnosed in primary care. Timely diagnosis is critical, as NAFLD can progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death; furthermore, NAFLD is also a risk factor linked to cardiometabolic outcomes. Identifying patients with NAFLD, and particularly those at risk of advanced fibrosis, is important so that healthcare practitioners can optimize care delivery in an effort to prevent disease progression. This review debates the practical issues that primary care physicians encounter when managing NAFLD, using a patient case study to illustrate the challenges and decisions that physicians face. It explores the pros and cons of different diagnostic strategies and tools that physicians can adopt in primary care settings, depending on how NAFLD presents and progresses. We discuss the importance of prescribing lifestyle changes to achieve weight loss and mitigate disease progression. A diagnostic and management flow chart is provided, showing the key points of assessment for primary care physicians. The advantages and disadvantages of advanced fibrosis risk assessments in primary care settings and the factors that influence patient referral to a hepatologist are also reviewed.

Effect and Safety of Pioglitazone-Metformin Tablets in the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Shaanxi Province: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Double-Simulated Multicenter Study

Objective

The aim of study was to evaluate the effect and safety of pioglitazone-metformin combined treatment in the newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Methods

A total of 120 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease from 8 centers were randomly divided into the control group (metformin hydrochloride) and the test group (pioglitazone hydrochloride and metformin hydrochloride).

Results

Compared to the control group, after treatment, the proportion of people with mild and moderate fatty liver increased, and the proportion of people with severe fatty liver decreased, and this change was more obvious in the population with moderate and severe fatty liver. The level of γ-GT decreased in both groups before and after treatment, which was statistically significant, and there was also a statistically significant difference in the level of γ-GT between the two groups after 24 weeks. There were no significant statistically differences in blood lipid, body weight, and waist circumference between the test group and the control group. Logistic regression analysis found that BMI is one of the risk factors for fatty liver. There was also no significant difference in the incidence of serious adverse events between the two groups (control group: 10.00% and test group: 6.67%, P = 0.74).

Conclusion

Combined treatment with pioglitazone-metformin can effectively reduce liver fat content and gamma-GT level in newly diagnosed diabetic patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and adverse events do not increase compared with the control group, showing good safety and tolerance. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03796975.

Non-Invasive Imaging Methods to Evaluate Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease with Fat Quantification: A Review

Hepatic steatosis without specific causes (e.g., viral infection, alcohol abuse, etc.) is called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which ranges from non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, and NASH-related cirrhosis. Despite the usefulness of the standard grading system, liver biopsy has several limitations. In addition, patient acceptability and intra- and inter-observer reproducibility are also concerns. Due to the prevalence of NAFLD and limitations of liver biopsies, non-invasive imaging methods such as ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that can reliably diagnose hepatic steatosis have developed rapidly. US is widely available and radiation-free but cannot examine the entire liver. CT is readily available and helpful for detection and risk classification, significantly when analyzed using artificial intelligence; however, it exposes users to radiation. Although expensive and time-consuming, MRI can measure liver fat percentage with magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF). Specifically, chemical shift-encoded (CSE)-MRI is the best imaging indicator for early liver fat detection. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of each imaging modality with an emphasis on the recent progress and current status of liver fat quantification.

Non-invasive diagnosis and staging of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered to be the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome and is characterized by ectopic accumulation of triglycerides in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes, i.e., steatosis. NAFLD has become the most common chronic liver disease, with an estimated global prevalence of 25%. Although the majority of NAFLD patients will never experience liver-related complications, the progressive potential of NAFLD is indisputable, with 5-10% of subjects progressing to cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, or hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD patients with advanced fibrosis are at the highest risk of developing cardiovascular and cirrhosis-related complications. Liver biopsy has hitherto been considered the reference method for evaluation of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis stage. Given the limitations of biopsy for widescale screening, non-invasive tests (NITs) for assessment of steatosis and fibrosis stage, including serum-based algorithms and ultrasound- and magnetic resonance-based methods, will play an increasing role in the management of NAFLD patients. This comprehensive review presents the advantages and limitations of NITs for identification of steatosis and advanced fibrosis in NAFLD. The clinical implications of using NITs to identify and manage NAFLD patients are also discussed.

Clinical outcome of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: an 11-year follow-up study

OBJECTIVES

To clarify non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) prevalence, risk factors and clinical outcome in an exemplary Chinese population, a cohort of company employees was followed up for 11 years.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Between 2006 and 2016 in Ning bo, China.

PARTICIPANTS

13 032 company employees.

RESULTS

Over 11 years, the prevalence of NAFLD increased from 17.2% to 32.4% (men 20.5%-37% vs women 9.8%-22.2%). Male peak prevalence was between 40 and 60 years of age, whereas highest prevalence in women was at an age of 60 years and older. Logistic and Cox regression revealed 16 risk factors, including body mass index (BMI), albumin, white blood cell, triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein, glutamyl transpeptidase, alanine transaminase, creatinine, urea acid, glucose, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, blood sedimentation, haemoglobin, platelet and apolipoprotein B2 (p<0.05 for all factors). The area under the curve of these variables for NAFLD is 0.88. However, cause-effect analyses showed that only BMI, gender and TG directly contributed to NAFLD development. Over an 11-year follow-up period, 12.6%, 37.7% and 14.2% of male patients with NAFLD and 11.6%, 44.7% and 22.6% of female patients with NAFLD developed diabetes, hypertension and hyperuricaemia, respectively. Except one male patient who developed cirrhosis, no patients with NAFLD progressed into severe liver disease.

CONCLUSION

Diabetes, hypertension and hyperuricaemia are the main clinical outcomes of NAFLD. Eleven years of NAFLD are not sufficient to cause severe liver disease. Age and obesity are direct risk factors for NAFLD. BMI, gender and TG are three parameters directly reflecting the occurrence of NAFLD.

Endoscopic Bariatric Treatment with Duodenal-Jejunal Bypass Liner Improves Non-invasive Markers of Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis

Purpose

People with obesity often develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and are at high risk of progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Few therapies are effective other than bariatric surgery. We therefore analyzed data from duodenal-jejunal bypass liner (DJBL) patients regarding steatosis, fibrosis, and NASH.

Methods

Consecutive DJBL patients with type 2 diabetes underwent standardized assessments up to device removal at 48 weeks. These included aspartate and alanine transaminase (AST, ALT), controlled attenuation parameter (CAP, for steatosis), and liver stiffness measurement (LSM, for fibrosis). The NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), fibrosis-4 score (FIB4), and enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) test were also used to assess fibrosis and the Fibroscan-AST (FAST) score to assess NASH. Mixed models were used and missing data were accounted for with multiple imputation.

Results

Thirty-two patients (18 female, mean age 55.1, mean BMI 40.2 kg/m²) were included. After 48 weeks, the change compared to baseline with 95% CI was a factor 0.74 (0.65 to 0.84) for AST, 0.63 (0.53 to 0.75) for ALT, and a difference of − 0.21 (− 0.28 to − 0.13) for FAST, all with p < 0.001. Fibrosis based on LSM, NFS, and ELF did not change whereas FIB4 exhibited slight improvement. Eight DJBL were explanted early due to device-related complications and eight complications led to hospitalization.

Conclusions

One year of DJBL therapy is associated with relevant improvements in non-invasive markers of steatosis and NASH, but not fibrosis, and is accompanied by a substantial number of complications. Given the lack of alternatives, DJBL deserves further attention.

Graphical abstract

Efficacy and safety of Jian-Pi Huo-Xue granule for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: study protocol for a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most prevalent form of chronic liver disease, with a global prevalence of 25% worldwide, but a consensus treatment is still lacking. Previous studies have shown that Jian-Pi Huo-Xue granules (JPHX) can reduce hepatic steatosis in ultrasound images, but lacked quantitative observation in imagined liver fat content. This study aimed to refine the efficacy and safety assessment of JPHX for NAFLD with magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) as the primary outcome.

METHODS

This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The trial will enrol 84 NAFLD participants who will be equally randomized to receive either JPHX or a placebo for 24 weeks. Follow-up will be performed 12 weeks after the intervention. The primary outcome will be the change from baseline to week 24 in MRI-PDFF. Secondary outcomes will be the body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), serum liver function, blood lipids and glucose-related indicators, quality of life measurement health survey, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scale. Outcomes will be monitored at baseline, 12 weeks and 24 weeks after enrolment. Adverse events occurring in this trial will be managed and recorded promptly.

DISCUSSION

We designed a clinical trial for the treatment of NAFLD using JPHX, a TCM formulation that has been shown to have a positive effect on hepatic steatosis in a previous self-controlled trial. This trial will use a more recognized and quantitative imaging approach to demonstrate the efficacy of JPHX in the treatment of NAFLD and observe its safety to provide clinical evidence for its translational applications.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2100046132 . Registered on 4 May 2021.

Diagnostic accuracy of non-invasive tests for advanced fibrosis in patients with NAFLD: an individual patient data meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Liver biopsy is still needed for fibrosis staging in many patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The aims of this study were to evaluate the individual diagnostic performance of liver stiffness measurement by vibration controlled transient elastography (LSM-VCTE), Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4) and NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) Fibrosis Score (NFS) and to derive diagnostic strategies that could reduce the need for liver biopsies.

DESIGN

Individual patient data meta-analysis of studies evaluating LSM-VCTE against liver histology was conducted. FIB-4 and NFS were computed where possible. Sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) were calculated. Biomarkers were assessed individually and in sequential combinations.

RESULTS

Data were included from 37 primary studies (n=5735; 45% women; median age: 54 years; median body mass index: 30 kg/m²; 33% had type 2 diabetes; 30% had advanced fibrosis). AUROCs of individual LSM-VCTE, FIB-4 and NFS for advanced fibrosis were 0.85, 0.76 and 0.73. Sequential combination of FIB-4 cut-offs (<1.3; ≥2.67) followed by LSM-VCTE cut-offs (<8.0; ≥10.0 kPa) to rule-in or rule-out advanced fibrosis had sensitivity and specificity (95% CI) of 66% (63-68) and 86% (84-87) with 33% needing a biopsy to establish a final diagnosis. FIB-4 cut-offs (<1.3; ≥3.48) followed by LSM cut-offs (<8.0; ≥20.0 kPa) to rule out advanced fibrosis or rule in cirrhosis had a sensitivity of 38% (37-39) and specificity of 90% (89-91) with 19% needing biopsy.

CONCLUSION

Sequential combinations of markers with a lower cut-off to rule-out advanced fibrosis and a higher cut-off to rule-in cirrhosis can reduce the need for liver biopsies.

A sequential approach using the age-adjusted fibrosis-4 index and vibration-controlled transient elastography to detect advanced fibrosis in Korean patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) has shown good diagnostic performance in predicting fibrosis stages in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, an optimal diagnostic approach to detect advanced fibrosis in patients with NAFLD has not been established.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

We prospectively collected data from 539 subjects who underwent liver biopsy at a single centre between January 2014 and December 2019. Diagnostic performance was estimated using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Several models combining the fibrosis 4 index (FIB-4) score and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) were analysed to reduce the need for unnecessary liver biopsies. We observed significant fibrosis (≥F2), advanced fibrosis (≥F3) and cirrhosis (F4) in 173 (32.1%), 74 (13.7%) and 46 subjects (8.5%), respectively. The AUROCs (95% CI) for LSMs to diagnose ≥F2, ≥F3 and F4 were 0.82 (0.78-0.85), 0.92 (0.89-0.94) and 0.95 (0.93-0.97), respectively. Optimal LSM cut-off values were 6.7 (≥F2), 8.3 (≥F3) and 9.8 (F4) kPa. LSMs were affected by waist circumference, serum albumin and fibrosis stage (R²  = 0.315). Abdominal obesity, elevated transaminase, diabetes mellitus and high IQR/Median were associated with the discordance of ≥2 fibrosis stages between LSMs and histologic data. The sequential use of the age-adjusted FIB-4 and LSMs yielded the least uncertainty (5.3%) in classifying disease severity with the highest diagnostic accuracy (81%) among a variety of non-invasive test combinations.

CONCLUSIONS

The sequential approach of age-adjusted FIB-4 and VCTE could represent a practical diagnostic strategy to detect advanced fibrosis in NAFLD (ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT02206841).

A Novel Noninvasive Diagnostic Model of HBV-Related Inflammation in Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection Patients With Concurrent Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background and Aims

Patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection (CBI) with concurrent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming increasingly common in clinical practice, and it is quite important to identify the etiology when hepatitis occurs. A noninvasive diagnostic model was constructed to identify patients who need antihepatitis B virus (HBV) therapies [histologic activity index (HAI) ≥ 4] in patients with CBI with concurrent NAFLD by analyzing clinical routine parameters.

Approach and Results

In total, 303 out of 502 patients with CBI with concurrent NAFLD proven by liver biopsy from January 2017 to December 2020 in the Tianjin Second People's Hospital were enrolled and they were divided into the HBV-related inflammation (HBV-I) group (HAI ≥ 4,176 cases) and the non-HBV-I group (HAI &lt; 4,127 cases) according to hepatic pathology. The univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed on the two groups of patients, and then the HBV-I model of patients with CBI with concurrent NAFLD was constructed. The areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) were used to evaluate the parameters of the regression formula. Another 115 patients with CBI with concurrent NAFLD proven by liver biopsy from January 2021 to January 2022 were enrolled as the validation group. There were some statistical differences in demographic data, biochemical indicators, immune function, thyroid function, virology indicator, and blood routine indicators between the two groups (P &lt; 0.05) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in the HBV-I group was significantly higher than those in the non-HBV-I group (P &lt; 0.05). While controlled attenuation parameters (CAP) in the HBV-I group were lower than those in the non-HBV-I group (P &lt; 0.05); (2) We developed a novel model by logistic regression analysis: HBV-I = −0.020 × CAP + 0.424 × LSM + 0.376 × lg (HBV DNA) + 0.049 × aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and the accuracy rate was 82.5%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) is 0.907, the cutoff value is 0.671, the sensitivity is 89.30%, the specificity is 77.80%, the positive predictive value is 90.34%, and the negative predictive value is 81.89%; (3) The AUROC of HBV-I in the validation group was 0.871 and the overall accuracy rate is 86.96%.

Conclusion

Our novel model HBV-I [combining CAP, LSM, lg (HBV DNA), and AST] shows promising utility for predicting HBV-I in patients with CBI with concurrent NAFLD with high sensitivity, accuracy, and repeatability, which may contribute to clinical application.

Accuracy of attenuation imaging in the assessment of pediatric hepatic steatosis: correlation with the controlled attenuation parameter

PURPOSE

This study evaluated the accuracy of attenuation imaging (ATI) for the assessment of hepatic steatosis in pediatric patients, in comparison with the FibroScan vibration-controlled transient elastography controlled attenuation parameter (CAP).

METHODS

Consecutive pediatric patients referred for evaluation of obesity who underwent both ATI and FibroScan between February 2020 and September 2021 were included. The correlation between attenuation coefficient (AC) and CAP values was assessed using the Spearman test. The AC cutoff value for discriminating hepatic steatosis corresponding to a CAP value of 241 dB/m was calculated. Multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to estimate the strength of the association between AC and CAP. The diagnostic accuracy of AC cutoffs was estimated using the imperfect gold-standard methodology based on a two-level Bayesian latent class model.

RESULTS

Seventy patients (median age, 12.5 years; interquartile range, 11.0 to 14.0 years; male:female, 58:12) were included. AC and CAP showed a moderate-to-good correlation (ρ =0.646, P<0.001). Multivariable regression analysis affirmed the significant association between AC and CAP (P<0.001). The correlation was not evident in patients with a body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 (ρ=-0.202, P=0.551). Linear regression revealed that an AC cutoff of 0.66 dB/cm/MHz corresponded to a CAP of 241 dB/m (sensitivity, 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85 to 0.98 and specificity, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.56 to 1.00).

CONCLUSION

ATI showed an acceptable correlation with CAP values in a pediatric population, especially in patients with a body mass index <30 kg/m2. An AC cutoff of 0.66 dB/cm/MHz, corresponding to a CAP of 241 dB/m, can accurately diagnose hepatic steatosis.

Ultrasonographic index for the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

BACKGROUND

Liver biopsy is a gold standard for the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but has several disadvantages including invasiveness, high cost, and sampling error. Ultrasonography (US) is a noninvasive imaging modality widely used in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. This study aimed: (I) to assess the feasibility of US in the prediction of NASH and (II) to develop various US indices combining US parameters and laboratory data for the detection of NASH in NAFLD patients and to compare the diagnostic performance of them.

METHODS

Sixty patients who underwent liver biopsy, gray-scale US [hepatorenal index (HRI) and shear-wave elastography (SWE)], and Fibroscan [controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and transient elastography (TE)] for the evaluation of NASH were included. Patients were classified according to the NAFLD Activity Score (NAS) into the NASH (NAS ≥5) and non-NASH (NAS <5) groups. The diagnostic performance of HRI, CAP, SWE, TE, and laboratory data for grading steatosis, lobular inflammation, ballooning degeneration, and fibrosis was evaluated. After the identification of laboratory data that were independently associated with NASH through univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses, various US indices were developed by combining US parameters with or without these laboratory data. The diagnostic performance of the US indices was assessed with obtaining area under the curve (AUC) and compared using DeLong test.

RESULTS

Twenty-five NASH and 35 non-NASH patients were included. The mean AUCs for grading steatosis were 0.871 using HRI and 0.583 using CAP. The mean AUCs for grading fibrosis and ballooning degeneration were 0.777 and 0.729 using SWE and 0.830 and 0.708 using TE, respectively. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was the only significant laboratory data associated with NASH (OR, 1.019; P=0.032). Using AST, the mean AUCs for grading lobular inflammation and ballooning degeneration were 0.712 and 0.775, respectively. Among various US indices, the index consisting of gray-scale US parameters (SWE and HRI) and AST showed the best diagnostic performance for the detection of NASH in NAFLD patients (AUC =0.806).

CONCLUSIONS

The index combining gray-scale US parameters and AST is useful for the detection of NASH and may be used to exclude the need for liver biopsy in NAFLD patients.

M probe comes first: Impact of initial probe choice on diagnostic performance of vibration controlled transient elastography

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Probe choice (M or XL) in transient elastography can be made by the user's own measure of skin-to-liver-capsule distance (SCD) or with an automated tool (AUTO). We studied how AUTO depends on initial probe choice.

METHODS

Three fictive clinics were considered: The "M-first clinic" uses AUTO from the M probe, the "XL-first clinic" uses AUTO from the XL probe and a "reference clinic" measures SCD independently. Agreement and discrepancies to the reference clinic were measured.

RESULTS

200 patients with chronic liver disease were prospectively included (58% female, 56 years, BMI 28.1 kg/m²). Fleiss' kappa for agreement in probe selection was 0.11 (95% CI -0.09 to 0.31), but accuracy was above 0.8 for both. Probe failure occurred for 16 (M-first clinic), 4 (XL-first clinic) and 3 patients (reference clinic). Use of XL probe given M probe failure improved performance of the M-first approach. The odds ratio for discrepancy in the XL-first vs M-first clinic is 2.4 (95% CI 1.2 to 5.2, p = 0.012) for liver fibrosis and 4.8 (95% CI 1.8 to 16.1, p < 0.001) for steatosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Agreement in AUTO between M and XL probes is poor although each has acceptable accuracy. The M-first approach leads to fewer discrepancies and should be adopted as a standard.

Quantitative Evaluation of Hepatic Steatosis Using Advanced Imaging Techniques: Focusing on New Quantitative Ultrasound Techniques

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, characterized by excessive accumulation of fat in the liver, is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. The current standard for the detection of hepatic steatosis is liver biopsy; however, it is limited by invasiveness and sampling errors. Accordingly, MR spectroscopy and proton density fat fraction obtained with MRI have been accepted as non-invasive modalities for quantifying hepatic steatosis. Recently, various quantitative ultrasonography techniques have been developed and validated for the quantification of hepatic steatosis. These techniques measure various acoustic parameters, including attenuation coefficient, backscatter coefficient and speckle statistics, speed of sound, and shear wave elastography metrics. In this article, we introduce several representative quantitative ultrasonography techniques and their diagnostic value for the detection of hepatic steatosis.

Improved Ultrasound Attenuation Measurement Method for the Non-invasive Evaluation of Hepatic Steatosis Using FibroScan

Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is a measurement of ultrasound attenuation used to assess liver steatosis non-invasively. However, the standard method has some limitations. This study assessed the performance of a new CAP method by ex vivo and in vivo assessments. The major difference with the new method is that it uses ultrasound data continuously acquired during the imaging phase of the FibroScan examination. Seven reference tissue-mimicking phantoms were used to test the performance. In vivo performance was assessed in two cohorts (in total 195 patients) of patients using magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) as a reference. The precision of CAP was improved by more than 50% on tissue-mimicking phantoms and 22%-41% in the in vivo cohort studies. The agreement between both methods was excellent, and the correlation between CAP and MRI-PDFF improved in both studies (0.71 to 0.74; 0.70 to 0.76). Using MRI-PDFF as a reference, the diagnostic performance of the new method was at least equal or superior (area under the receiver operating curve 0.889-0.900, 0.835-0.873). This study suggests that the new continuous CAP method can significantly improve the precision of CAP measurements ex vivo and in vivo.

Diagnostic accuracy of elastography and magnetic resonance imaging in patients with NAFLD: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE), point shear wave elastography (pSWE), 2-dimensional shear wave elastography (2DSWE), magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been proposed as non-invasive tests for patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study evaluated their diagnostic accuracy for liver fibrosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

METHODS

PubMED/MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies examining the diagnostic accuracy of these index tests, against histology as the reference standard, in adult patients with NAFLD. Two authors independently screened and assessed methodological quality of studies and extracted data. Summary estimates of sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (sAUC) were calculated for fibrosis stages and NASH, using a random effects bivariate logit-normal model.

RESULTS

We included 82 studies (14,609 patients). Meta-analysis for diagnosing fibrosis stages was possible in 53 VCTE, 11 MRE, 12 pSWE and 4 2DSWE studies, and for diagnosing NASH in 4 MRE studies. sAUC for diagnosis of significant fibrosis were: 0.83 for VCTE, 0.91 for MRE, 0.86 for pSWE and 0.75 for 2DSWE. sAUC for diagnosis of advanced fibrosis were: 0.85 for VCTE, 0.92 for MRE, 0.89 for pSWE and 0.72 for 2DSWE. sAUC for diagnosis of cirrhosis were: 0.89 for VCTE, 0.90 for MRE, 0.90 for pSWE and 0.88 for 2DSWE. MRE had sAUC of 0.83 for diagnosis of NASH. Three (4%) studies reported intention-to-diagnose analyses and 15 (18%) studies reported diagnostic accuracy against pre-specified cut-offs.

CONCLUSIONS

When elastography index tests are acquired successfully, they have acceptable diagnostic accuracy for advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. The potential clinical impact of these index tests cannot be assessed fully as intention-to-diagnose analyses and validation of pre-specified thresholds are lacking.

LAY SUMMARY

Non-invasive tests that measure liver stiffness or use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been suggested as alternatives to liver biopsy for assessing the severity of liver scarring (fibrosis) and fatty inflammation (steatohepatitis) in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this study, we summarise the results of previously published studies on how accurately these non-invasive tests can diagnose liver fibrosis and inflammation, using liver biopsy as the reference. We found that some techniques that measure liver stiffness had a good performance for the diagnosis of severe liver scarring.

Diagnostic performance of ultrasound attenuation imaging for assessing low-grade hepatic steatosis

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the diagnostic performance of attenuation imaging (ATI) for the assessment of low-grade hepatic steatosis using liver biopsy as the reference standard.

METHODS

The study included 57 potential donor candidates for living liver transplantation who underwent ATI, transient elastography (TE), and liver biopsy for evaluation of hepatic steatosis between February 2020 and April 2020. The attenuation coefficient (AC) from ATI and the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) from TE were measured for each participant in a random and blind manner. The histologic hepatic fat fraction (HFF) was graded (S0, < 5%; S1, 5-33%; S2, 33-66%; S3, > 66%). The accuracy of ATI for diagnosing hepatic steatosis was compared with that of CAP using ROC analysis. Correlations between AC and HFF were evaluated, and factors affecting AC were determined by linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

The median HFF was 3% (range: 0-35%), with 31 (54.4%), 24 (42.0%), and 2 (3.5%) participants being graded as S0, S1, and S2, respectively. The AUCs for the ROCs of AC and CAP for the detection of hepatic steatosis were 0.808 (95% CI: 0.682-0.900) and 0.829 (95% CI: 0.706-0.916), respectively, with the difference not being statistically significant (p = 0.762). AC showed 61.5% of sensitivity and 90.3% of specificity. AC was positively correlated with HFF (p < 0.001). HFF was the only factor significantly affecting AC.

CONCLUSIONS

ATI showed moderate sensitivity and high specificity in the diagnosis and quantification of hepatic steatosis in low-grade steatosis without fibrosis. Only HFF significantly affected AC.

KEY POINTS

• Attenuation imaging showed moderate sensitivity and high specificity performance in the diagnosis and quantification of hepatic steatosis in low-grade steatosis without fibrosis. • The diagnostic performance of the attenuation coefficient by attenuation imaging did not significantly differ from that of the controlled attenuation parameter by transient elastography in quantifying low-grade steatosis. • The histopathologically determined hepatic fat fraction was the only factor significantly affecting the attenuation coefficient.

Magnetic Resonance-Based Assessments Better Capture Pathophysiologic Profiles and Progression in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

BACKGROUND

Several noninvasive tools are available for the assessment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) including clinical and blood biomarkers, transient elastography (TE), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, such as proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). In the present study, we aimed to evaluate whether magnetic resonance (MR)-based examinations better discriminate the pathophysiologic features and fibrosis progression in NAFLD than other noninvasive methods.

METHODS

A total of 133 subjects (31 healthy volunteers and 102 patients with NAFLD) were subjected to clinical and noninvasive NAFLD evaluation, with additional liver biopsy in some patients (n=54).

RESULTS

MRI-PDFF correlated far better with hepatic fat measured by MR spectroscopy (r=0.978, P<0.001) than with the TE controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) (r=0.727, P<0.001). In addition, MRI-PDFF showed stronger correlations with various pathophysiologic parameters for cellular injury, glucose and lipid metabolism, and inflammation, than the TE-CAP. The MRI-PDFF and TE-CAP cutoff levels associated with abnormal elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase were 9.9% and 270 dB/m, respectively. The MRE liver stiffness measurement (LSM) showed stronger correlations with liver enzymes, platelets, complement component 3, several clinical fibrosis scores, and the enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) score than the TE-LSM. In an analysis of only biopsied patients, MRE performed better in discriminating advanced fibrosis with a cutoff value of 3.9 kPa than the TE (cutoff 8.1 kPa) and ELF test (cutoff 9.2 kPa).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that MRI-based assessment of NAFLD is the best non-invasive tool that captures the histologic, pathophysiologic and metabolic features of the disease.

Current and Emerging Biomarkers and Imaging Modalities for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Clinical and Research Applications

PURPOSE

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a metabolic disorder that frequently coexists with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. The NAFLD spectrum, ranging from hepatic steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis, can be associated with long-term hepatic (hepatic decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma) and extrahepatic complications. Diagnosis of NAFLD requires detection of liver steatosis with exclusion of other causes of chronic liver disease. Screening for NAFLD and identification of individuals at risk of end-stage liver disease represent substantial challenges that have yet to be met. NAFLD affects up to 25% of adults, yet only a small proportion will progress beyond steatosis to develop advanced disease (steatohepatitis and fibrosis) associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Identification of this cohort has required the gold standard liver biopsy, which is both invasive and expensive. The use of serum biomarkers and noninvasive imaging techniques is an area of significant clinical relevance. This narrative review outlines current and emerging technologies for the diagnosis of NAFLD, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and hepatic fibrosis.

METHODS

We reviewed the literature using PubMed and reviewed national and international guidelines and conference proceedings to provide a comprehensive overview of the evidence.

FINDINGS

Significant advances have been made during the past 2 decades that have enhanced noninvasive assessment of NAFLD without the need for liver biopsy. For the detection of steatosis, abdominal ultrasonography remains the first-line investigation, although a controlled attenuation parameter using transient elastography is more sensitive. For detecting fibrosis, noninvasive serum markers of fibrosis and algorithms based on routine biochemistry are available, in addition to transient elastography. These techniques are well validated and have been incorporated into national and international screening guidelines. These approaches have facilitated more judicious use of liver biopsy but are yet to entirely replace it. Although serum biomarkers present a pragmatic and widely available screening approach for NAFLD in large population-based studies, magnetic resonance imaging techniques offer the benefit of achieving high degrees of accuracy in disease grading, tumor staging, and assessing therapeutic response.

IMPLICATIONS

This diagnostic clinical and research field is rapidly evolving; increasingly combined applications of biomarkers and transient elastography or imaging of selective (intermediate or high risk) cases are being used for clinical and research purposes. Liver biopsy remains the gold standard investigation, particularly in the context of clinical trials, but noninvasive options are emerging, using multimodality assessment, that are quicker, more tolerable, more widely available and have greater patient acceptability.

Effect of skin-capsular distance on controlled attenuation parameter for diagnosing liver steatosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

The effect of the skin-capsular distance (SCD) on the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) for diagnosis of liver steatosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains unclear. The SCD was measured using B-mode ultrasound, and the CAP was measured using the M probe of FibroScan®. According to the indications of the M probe, 113 patients with an SCD of ≤ 25 mm were included in the present study. The association between the SCD and CAP was investigated, and the diagnostic performance of the SCD-adjusted CAP was tested. The SCD showed the most significant positive correlation with the CAP (ρ = 0.329, p < 0.001). In the multiple regression analysis, the SCD and serum albumin concentration were associated with the CAP, independent of pathological liver steatosis. According to the multivariate analysis, two different formulas were developed to obtain the adjusted CAP using the SCD and serum albumin concentration as follows: adjusted CAP (dB/m) = CAP - (5.26 × SCD) and adjusted CAP (dB/m) = CAP - (5.35 × SCD) - (25.77 × serum albumin concentration). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for diagnosis of a steatosis score ≥ 2 of adjusted CAP was 0.678 and 0.684 respectively, which were significantly greater than the original CAP (0.621: p = 0.030 and p = 0.024). The SCD is associated with the CAP independent of liver steatosis. Adjustment of the CAP using the SCD improves the diagnostic performance of the CAP in NAFLD.

Conventional ultrasound for diagnosis of hepatic steatosis is better than believed

BACKGROUND

Hepatic steatosis is a condition frequently encountered in clinical practice, with potential progression towards fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Detection and staging of hepatic steatosis are of most importance in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a disease with a high prevalence of more than 1 billion individuals affected. Ultrasound (US) is one of the most used noninvasive imaging techniques used in the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis. Detection of hepatic steatosis with US relies on several conventional US parameters, which will be described. US is the first-choice imaging in adults at risk for hepatic steatosis. The use of some scoring systems may add additional accuracy especially in assessing the severity of hepatic steatosis.

SUMMARY

In the presented paper, we discuss screening and risk stratification, ultrasound features for diagnosing hepatic steatosis, B-mode criteria, focal fatty patterns and Doppler features of the hepatic vessels, and the value of the different US signs for the diagnosis of liver steatosis including classifying the severity of steatosis using different US scores. Limitations of conventional B-mode and Doppler features in the evaluation of hepatic steatosis are also discussed, including those in grading and assessing the complications of steatosis, namely fibrosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

KEY MESSAGES

Ultrasound is the first-line imaging examination for the screening and follow-up of patients with liver steatosis. The use of some scoring systems may add additional accuracy in assessing the severity of steatosis. Conventional B-mode and Doppler ultrasound have limitations in grading and assessing the complications of steatosis.

Diagnostic Performance of FibroTouch Ultrasound Attenuation Parameter and Liver Stiffness Measurement in Assessing Hepatic Steatosis and Fibrosis in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

INTRODUCTION

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of ultrasound attenuation parameter (UAP) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by FibroTouch for diagnosis of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

METHODS

We recruited 237 patients undergoing FibroTouch and liver biopsy within 2 weeks. The pathological findings of liver biopsy were scored by Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network, and the diagnostic accuracy of UAP for steatosis and LSM for fibrosis was evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). The impacts of histological parameters on UAP and LSM were analyzed, and diagnostic performance of FibroTouch UAP and LSM was compared with other noninvasive biomarkers.

RESULTS

The success rate of FibroTouch examination was 96.51%. The AUROC of UAP for diagnosis of steatosis ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3 was 0.88, 0.93, and 0.88, and the cutoff values were 244, 269, and 296 dB/m, respectively. The AUROC of LSM for the diagnosis of fibrosis stages ≥F2, ≥F3, and F4 was 0.71, 0.71, and 0.77, and the cutoff values were 9.4, 9.4, and 11 kPa, respectively. Multiple regression analysis showed that LSM was positively correlated with degree of fibrosis and NAFLD activity score. UAP was positively correlated with liver steatosis. The diagnostic performance of UAP for steatosis was significantly superior to that of the hepatic steatosis index.

DISCUSSION

FibroTouch has a low failure rate with moderate to high diagnostic performance for discriminating the steatosis degree and fibrosis stage and is suitable for clinical evaluation and monitoring of patients with NAFLD.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in the Field of Diabetology

Ultrasound is increasingly used in daily clinical practice to improve the efficiency of the clinical examination. In this article, we reviewed its various possible uses in the field of diabetology. The ultrasonic evaluation of the carotid arteries (plaques and intima media thickness) allows improving the assessment of the cardiovascular risk. Steatosis can be detected relatively easily on liver ultrasound. Ultrasound also allows a more sensitive detection of lipohypertrophy resulting in glycemic fluctuations and thus increasing the risk of hypoglycemia than the clinical examination. Finally, muscle ultrasound appears to be a promising tool to assess the nutritional status and its consequences (e.g., falls).

Controlled Attenuation Parameter for Quantification of Steatosis: Which Cut-Offs to Use?

Chronic liver diseases (CLDs) are a public health problem, even if frequently they are underdiagnosed. Hepatic steatosis (HS), encountered not only in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) but also in chronic viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, etc., plays an important role in fibrosis progression, regardless of CLD etiology; thus, detection and quantification of HS are imperative. Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) feature, implemented in the FibroScan® device, measures the attenuation of the US beam as it passes through the liver. It is a noninvasive technique, feasible and well accepted by patients, with lower costs than other diagnostic techniques, with acceptable accuracy for HS quantification. Multiple studies have been published regarding CAP performance to quantify steatosis, but due to the heterogeneity of CLD etiologies, of steatosis prevalence, etc., it had widely variable calculated cut-off values, which in turn limited the day-to-day utility of CAP measurements in clinical practice. This paper reviews published studies trying to suggest cut-off values usable in clinical practice.

Performance of liver stiffness measurements obtained with FibroScan is affected by glucose metabolism in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Background

The performance of liver stiffness measurements (LSMs) obtained using FibroScan can be affected by several factors, and cut-off values are different for fibrosis caused by various aetiologies. The study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of LSM in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients with abnormal glucose metabolism and investigate whether the LSM value would be affected by metabolic indicators.

Methods

The study involved 91 NAFLD patients with abnormal glucose metabolism who underwent liver biopsy. The diagnostic accuracy of LSM value was evaluated by the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves, with the biopsy results taken as the gold standard. Multivariate linear regression and subgroup analysis were performed to determine the correlated indicators.

Results

The areas under the ROC curves (AUROCs) of LSM values for detecting fibrosis stage ≥1, 2, 3 and 4 were 0.793 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.695–0.871), 0.764 (95% CI: 0.663–0.846), 0.837 (95% CI: 0.744–0.906) and 0.902 (95% CI: 0.822–0.955), with cut-off values of 6.3, 7.6, 8.3 and 13.8 kPa, respectively. Multivariate linear regression demonstrated that haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c, β = 0.205, P = 0.026) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT, β = 0.192, P = 0.047) were independently associated with the LSM value after adjustment for fibrosis stage, ballooning and inflammation grade from liver biopsy. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that LSM values were slightly higher in patients with HbA1c ≥7% than in those with HbA1c < 7% and in patients with body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m² than in those with BMI < 30 kg/m².

Conclusions

FibroScan was valuable for the evaluation of liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients with abnormal glucose metabolism. FibroScan is recommended to evaluate severe fibrosis, especially to exclude advanced fibrosis. Glucose metabolism state may affect LSM values.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12944-021-01453-5.

Utility of quantitative ultrasound in community screening for hepatic steatosis

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease. Quantitative ultrasound facilitates clinical grading of hepatic steatosis (the early stage of NAFLD). However, the utility of quantitative ultrasound as a first-line method for community screening of hepatic steatosis remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the utility of quantitative ultrasound to screen for hepatic steatosis and for metabolic evaluation at the community level. In total, 278 participants enrolled from a community satisfied the study criteria. Each subject underwent anthropometric and biochemical examinations, and abdominal ultrasound imaging was performed to measure the controlled attenuation (CAP), integrated backscatter (IB), and information Shannon entropy (ISE). The assessment outcomes were compared with the fatty liver index (FLI), hepatic steatosis index (HSI), metabolic syndrome (MetS), and insulin resistance to evaluate the screening performance through the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and Delong's test. Ultrasound ISE, CAP, and IB were effective in screening hepatic steatosis, MetS, and insulin resistance. In screening for hepatic steatosis, the AUROCs of ISE, CAP, and IB were 0.85, 0.83, and 0.80 (the cutoff FLI = 60), respectively, and 0.84, 0.75, 0.77 (the cutoff HSI = 36), respectively, and those for the evaluation of MetS and insulin resistance were 0.79, 0.75, 0.79, respectively, and 0.83, 0.76, 0.78, respectively. Delong's test revealed that ISE outperformed CAP and IB for the detection of hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance (P < .05). Based on the present results, ultrasound ISE is a potential imaging biomarker during first-line community screening of hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance.

Assessment of hepatic steatosis by controlled attenuation parameter using the M and XL probes: an individual patient data meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Diagnostic tools for liver disease can now include estimation of the grade of hepatic steatosis (S0 to S3). Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is a non-invasive method for assessing hepatic steatosis that has become available for patients who are obese (FibroScan XL probe), but a consensus has not yet been reached regarding cutoffs and its diagnostic performance. We aimed to assess diagnostic properties and identify relevant covariates with use of an individual patient data meta-analysis.

METHODS

We did an individual patient data meta-analysis, in which we searched PubMed and Web of Science for studies published from database inception until April 30, 2019. Studies reporting original biopsy-controlled data of CAP for non-invasive grading of steatosis were eligible. Probe recommendation was based on automated selection, manual assessment of skin-to-liver-capsule distance, and a body-mass index (BMI) criterion. Receiver operating characteristic methods and mixed models were used to assess diagnostic properties and covariates. Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were analysed separately because they are the predominant patient group when using the XL probe. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42018099284.

FINDINGS

16 studies reported histology-controlled CAP including the XL probe, and individual data from 13 papers and 2346 patients were included. Patients with a mean age of 46·5 years (SD 14·5) were recruited from 20 centres in nine countries. 2283 patients had data for BMI; 673 (29%) were normal weight (BMI <25 kg/m²), 530 (23%) were overweight (BMI ≥25 to <30 kg/m²), and 1080 (47%) were obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m²). 1277 (54%) patients had NAFLD, 474 (20%) had viral hepatitis, 285 (12%) had alcohol-associated liver disease, and 310 (13%) had other liver disease aetiologies. The XL probe was recommended in 1050 patients, 930 (89%) of whom had NAFLD; among the patients with NAFLD, the areas under the curve were 0·819 (95% CI 0·769-0·869) for S0 versus S1 to S3 and 0·754 (0·720-0·787) for S0 to S1 versus S2 to S3. CAP values were independently affected by aetiology, diabetes, BMI, aspartate aminotransferase, and sex. Optimal cutoffs differed substantially across aetiologies. Risk of bias according to QUADAS-2 was low.

INTERPRETATION

CAP cutoffs varied according to cause, and can effectively recognise significant steatosis in patients with viral hepatitis. CAP cannot grade steatosis in patients with NAFLD adequately, but its value in a NAFLD screening setting needs to be studied, ideally with methods beyond the traditional histological reference standard.

FUNDING

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and Echosens.

Evaluation of controlled attenuation parameter in assessing hepatic steatosis in patients with autoimmune liver diseases

BACKGROUND

Hepatic steatosis commonly occurs in some chronic liver diseases and may affect disease progression.

AIM

To investigate the performance of controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) for the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis in patients with autoimmune liver diseases (AILDs).

METHODS

Patients who were suspected of having AILDs and underwent liver biopsy were consistently enrolled. Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and CAP were performed by transient elastography. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was used to evaluate the performance of CAP for diagnosing hepatic steatosis compared with biopsy.

RESULTS

Among 190 patients with biopsy-proven hepatic steatosis, 69 were diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), 18 with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), and 27 with AIH-PBC overlap syndrome. The AUROCs of CAP for the diagnosis of steatosis in AILDS were 0.878 (0.791-0.965) for S1, 0.764 (0.676-0.853) for S2, and 0.821 (0.716-0.926) for S3. The CAP value was significantly related to hepatic steatosis grade (P < 0.001). Among 69 patients with AIH, the median CAP score was 205.63 ± 47.36 dB/m for S0, 258.41 ± 42.83 dB/m for S1, 293.00 ± 37.18 dB/m for S2, and 313.60 ± 27.89 dB/m for S3. Compared with patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) presenting with autoimmune markers, patients with AIH concomitant with NAFLD were much older and had higher serum IgG levels and LSM values.

CONCLUSION

CAP can be used as a noninvasive diagnostic method to evaluate hepatic steatosis in patients with AILDs. Determination of LSM combined with CAP may help to identify patients with AIH concomitant with NAFLD from those with NAFLD with autoimmune phenomena.

Quantitative assessment of liver steatosis using ultrasound controlled attenuation parameter (Echosens)

Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is the algorithm available on the FibroScan system (Echosens, France) for quantification of liver steatosis. It assesses the ultrasound beam attenuation, which is directly related to liver fat content. The inter-observer reproducibility of the technique is high, with a reported concordance correlation coefficient of 0.82. Specific quality criteria for CAP measurements are not clearly defined yet, and there are conflicting results in the literature. Using liver biopsy as the reference standard, several studies have assessed the CAP performance in grading liver steatosis, and have reported that values are not affected by liver fibrosis. The cutoff for detection of liver steatosis reported in the literature ranges from 222 decibels per meter (dB/m) in a cohort of patients with chronic hepatitis C to 294 dB/m in a meta-analysis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. CAP has been used as a tool to noninvasively evaluate the prevalence of NAFLD in groups at risk or in the general population; however, it should be underscored that different CAP cutoffs for steatosis detection (S > 0) were used in different studies, and this limits the robustness of the findings. CAP, alone or combined with other noninvasive indices or biomarkers, has been proposed as a tool for assessing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or as a noninvasive predictor of prognosis in patients with chronic liver disease. CAP is easy to perform and has become a point-of-care technique. However, there is a large overlap of values between consecutive grades of liver steatosis, and cutoffs are not clearly defined.

Use of imaging techniques for non-invasive assessment in the diagnosis and staging of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common cause of chronic liver disease and represent a common finding in highly prevalent metabolic disorders (i.e. type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity). Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) requires liver biopsy for grading and staging the liver damage by the assessment of steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis. In parallel with the development of numerous 'liquid' biomarkers and algorithms that combine anthropometric and laboratory parameters, innovative hepatic imaging techniques have increasingly been developed to attempt to overcome the need for biopsy, both in diagnosis and staging of NAFLD, and in possible use in the follow-up of the disease. In this review, we focused on the different imaging techniques trying to highlight the strengths and disadvantages of different approaches, particularly for ultrasound techniques, in stratifying liver injury and fibrosis in patients with NAFLD / NASH.

Noninvasive Evaluation of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent liver diseases and can progress to advanced fibrosis and end-stage liver disease. Thus, intensive research has been performed to develop noninvasive methods for the diagnosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis. Currently, no single noninvasive tool covers all of the stages of pathologies and conditions of NAFLD, and the cost and feasibility of known techniques are also important issues. Blood biomarkers for NAFLD may be useful to select subjects who need ultrasonography (US) screening for NAFLD, and noninvasive tools for assessing fibrosis may be helpful to exclude the probability of significant fibrosis and to predict advanced fibrosis, thus guiding the decision of whether to perform liver biopsy in patients with NAFLD. Among various methods, magnetic resonance-based methods have been shown to perform better than other methods in assessing steatosis as well as in detecting hepatic fibrosis. Many genetic markers are associated with the development and progression of NAFLD. Further well-designed studies are needed to determine which biomarker panels, imaging studies, genetic marker panels, or combinations thereof perform well for diagnosing NAFLD, differentiating NASH and fibrosis, and following-up NAFLD, respectively.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Position Statement of the Fatty Liver Research Group of the Korean Diabetes Association

This clinical practice position statement, a product of the Fatty Liver Research Group of the Korean Diabetes Association, proposes recommendations for the diagnosis, progression and/or severity assessment, management, and follow-up of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Patients with both T2DM and NAFLD have an increased risk of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis and a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetic complications compared to those without NAFLD. With regards to the evaluation of patients with T2DM and NAFLD, ultrasonography-based stepwise approaches using noninvasive biomarker models such as fibrosis-4 or the NAFLD fibrosis score as well as imaging studies such as vibration-controlled transient elastography with controlled attenuation parameter or magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction are recommended. After the diagnosis of NAFLD, the stage of fibrosis needs to be assessed appropriately. For management, weight reduction achieved by lifestyle modification has proven beneficial and is recommended in combination with antidiabetic agent(s). Evidence that some antidiabetic agents improve NAFLD/NASH with fibrosis in patients with T2DM is emerging. However, there are currently no definite pharmacologic treatments for NAFLD in patients with T2DM. For specific cases, bariatric surgery may be an option if indicated.

Ultrasound-based techniques for the diagnosis of liver steatosis

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of diffuse liver disease. An accurate estimate of the fat in the liver is important in the diagnostic work-up of patients with NAFLD because the degree of liver steatosis is linked to the metabolic syndrome and the cardiovascular risk. Ultrasound (US) B-mode imaging allows to subjectively estimate the fatty infiltration in the liver; however, it has a low performance for the detection of mild steatosis. Quantitative US is based on the analysis of the radiofrequency echoes detected by an US system, and it allows to calculate a backscatter coefficient or an attenuation coefficient or the sound speed. The estimation of the backscatter coefficient is rather cumbersome and requires the use of a phantom for addressing all sources of variability. Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) available on the FibroScan^® system (Echosens, France) measures the attenuation of the US beam. CAP is accurate in grading fatty infiltration-even though there is an overlap between consecutive grade of liver steatosis-and the values are not influenced by liver fibrosis. Several US manufacturers are developing or have already developed software for quantifying the attenuation of the US beam. Preliminary results show that proprietary technologies implemented in US systems seem more accurate than CAP for grading liver steatosis. Another available method for quantifying liver steatosis is based on the computation of the sound speed and the initial results appear promising.

Abdominal Obesity as a Predictive Factor of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Assessed by Ultrasonography and Transient Elastography in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Healthy Women

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) share similar clinical presentations including obesity, insulin resistance (IR), and metabolic abnormality. The predictive factors of NAFLD in women with PCOS and specifically in Asian women are not well established. Associated factors for NAFLD assessed by ultrasound (US) among a group of PCOS and healthy women were determined and diagnostic accuracy between US and transient elastography (TE) for NAFLD was compared and correlated. Sixty-three women with ages ranging from 20 to 40 years participated in the present cross-sectional study. Forty-two women with PCOS as diagnosed by the Rotterdam criteria and 21 healthy women were recruited into the study. Women with underlying hepatic diseases and history of alcohol consumption >20 g/day were excluded. Biochemical and hormonal testing, anthropometrics, liver US, and TE were assessed. Waist circumference (WC) greater than 80 cm was the only predictive factor for NAFLD as assessed by US in the whole group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 5.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.85–16.26, p <0.001). The value of the TE-based controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) was significantly correlated with stage of steatosis as assessed by US (correlation coefficient = 0.696, p <0.001). The diagnostic accuracies of dichotomized CAP ≥236 dB/m assessed for NAFLD using US as the gold standard were 84% and 78% sensitivity and specificity, respectively, with the area under the curve at 0.81 (p <0.001). Abdominal obesity, rather than the presence of PCOS, was shown to be the independently associated factor for NAFLD. WC could be used as the primary screening tool before performing complicated intervention for detection of steatosis. TE is an alternative noninvasive detection tool in women with PCOS for NAFLD and hepatic fibrosis identification.

Moderate to severe hepatic steatosis leads to overestimation of liver stiffness measurement in chronic hepatitis B patients without significant fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by transient elastography is a noninvasive method for the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis. The impact of hepatic steatosis on LSM remains to be explored.

AIM

To determine whether LSM is affected by hepatic steatosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

METHODS

Consecutive patients with biopsy-proven CHB were prospectively enrolled. Hepatic steatosis was classified by pathology as none (S0, <5%), mild (S1, 5%-33%), and moderate-severe (S2-3, >33%), and quantitatively by controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) as CAP S0 (≤247 dB/m), CAP S1 (248-267 dB/m) and CAP S2-3 (≥268 dB/m). Liver fibrosis was assessed by METAVIR classification and noninvasively by LSM.

RESULTS

The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (n = 223) in CHB patients (n = 593) was 37.6%. Forty-eight belonged to S2-3 and 127 belonged to CAP S2-3. In patients without significant fibrosis (F0-1), the median LSM (kPa) was 7.4 in S2-3 and 7.1 in CAP S2-3, which was significantly higher than that in S0/S1 (P = 0.005) and CAP S0/S1 (P = 0.003). No significant difference was found in significant fibrosis (F2-4). For LSM identifying significant fibrosis (F2-4), the negative predictive value was higher in CHB patients with CAP ≥ 268 compared to those with CAP < 268 (0.81 vs 0.73); the positive predictive value was lower in CAP ≥ 268 than its counterpart (0.65 vs 0.76).

CONCLUSIONS

Moderate-severe steatosis increased the LSM value in CHB patients without significant fibrosis. A CAP ≥ 268 did not affect LSM for ruling out, but it slightly affected LSM for ruling in significant fibrosis.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ChiCTR-DDT-13003983.

Impact of Obesity and Alanine Aminotransferase Levels on the Diagnostic Accuracy for Advanced Liver Fibrosis of Noninvasive Tools in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

INTRODUCTION

Some evidence suggests an interference of obesity and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels on the diagnostic accuracy for advanced fibrosis of noninvasive tools such as liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by FibroScan, Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4), and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score (NFS). We assessed whether the diagnostic accuracy of LSM, Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4), and NFS and strategies based on the combination of these tools is affected by obesity and/or ALT levels.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 968 patients with a histological diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. FIB-4, NFS, and LSM by FibroScan were measured.

RESULTS

LSM was better than both FIB-4 and NFS for staging F3-F4 fibrosis area under the receiver operating characteristic curve test (AUC) 0.863, 0.777, and 0.765, respectively; P < 0.001 for both), showing higher accuracy and higher negative predictive value (NPV), but lower positive predictive value (PPV). LSM worked less well in high ALT (>100 IU) (AUC 0.811 vs 0.877, P = 0.04; PPV 57.5% vs 62.4%; NPV 90.7% vs 94%) or obese patients (AUC 0.786 vs 0.902, P < 0.001; PPV 58.7% vs 64.8%; NPV 88.3% vs 95.2%), the latter not being affected by the M or XL probe. Consistently, LSM worked better in terms of AUC and accuracy compared with both FIB-4 and NFS only in nonobese or high ALT patients, even with always keeping a slightly lower PPV. A serial combination of FIB-4 or NFS with LSM as the second test in patients in the gray area of the first test retained-in most scenarios-similar PPV and NPV compared with LSM alone. These strategies also increased the diagnostic accuracy of about 20% in all groups of patients, even if with a lower overall accuracy in obese patients (71.3% and 67.1% for FIB-4 and NFS as the first test, respectively) compared to nonobese patients (81.9% and 82.4% for FIB-4 and NFS as the first test, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

All tested noninvasive tools have overall better NPV than PPV. LSM has a better diagnostic accuracy for advanced fibrosis than both FIB-4 and NFS only in nonobese and/or low ALT patients. Serial combination strategies are better than a single tool strategy, regardless of obesity and ALT levels, although the accuracy is lower in obese patients.

Noninvasive monitoring of hepatic steatosis: controlled attenuation parameter and magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

With an increase in the worldwide prevalence of obesity, the incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been on the rise, such that it has been recently considered to be a major public health concern. Traditional interventions, such as lifestyle modifications, regular exercise, and healthy diet, have been significant in improving NAFLD with reduction of liver fat. Areas covered: Although liver biopsy is still the gold standard for diagnosis of NAFLD, there is a need for non-invasive, quantitative assessments of hepatic steatosis, especially in clinical trials of anti-steatotic medications or in the follow-up of patients undergoing lifestyle modifications. Liver biopsy has various shortcomings, such as invasive nature, risk of complications and possibility of sampling error. Therefore, it is impractical to use liver biopsy routinely in patients with NAFLD, clearly indicating the need for non-invasive and accurate diagnostic methods. Recently, controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) have been employed in various studies to monitor the dynamic changes of hepatic steatosis in response to treatment in patients with NAFLD. Expert commentary: Although further validations are required, CAP and MRI-PDFF could be used as potential diagnostic and monitoring tools in clinical setting.

Adaptation of controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) measurement depth in morbidly obese patients addressed for bariatric surgery

Background and aim

The controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) using FibroScan (Echosens, Paris, France) M or XL probe has been developed for liver steatosis assessment. However, CAP performs poorly in patients with high body mass index. The aim of our study was to assess whether CAP is overestimated using the standard XL probe in patients with morbid obesity, and in the case of an overestimation, to reprocess the data at a greater depth to obtain the appropriate CAP (CAPa).

Patients and methods

We conducted an observational prospective cohort study on a total of 249 severely obese patients admitted to our institution to undergo sleeve gastrectomy. Patients had a liver biopsy performed during the surgery and a CAP measurement during the 15 days preceding biopsy. Patient files were reprocessed retrospectively by an algorithm, blinded to the patients’ clinical data. The algorithm automatically assessed the probe-to-capsula distance (PCD) by analysing the echogenicity of ultrasound signals on the time-motion mode. In the case of a distance >35 mm, the algorithm automatically selected a deeper measurement for CAP (CAPa). When PCD was less than 35 mm, the measured CAP was considered as appropriated (CAPa) and no further reprocessing was performed.

Results

CAP recording was not performed at a sufficient depth in 130 patients. In these patients, the CAPa obtained at the adapted depth was significantly lower than CAP (298±3.9 versus 340±4.2 dB/m; p< 0.0001) measured at the standard depth (35 to 75 mm). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that both body mass index and hepatic steatosis were independently correlated with CAP values. After reprocessing the CAP in patients with PCD > 35 mm, steatosis stage was the only parameter independently correlated with CAP values. For the diagnosis of steatosis (S≥1), moderate to severe steatosis (S≥2) and severe steatosis (S = 3), the AUROC curves of CAPa (measured CAP in patients with PCD<35 mm and reprocessed CAP in those with PCD>35 mm) were 0.86, 0.83 and 0.79, respectively. The Obuchowski measure for the diagnosis of steatosis was 0.90±0.013.

Conclusion

CAP was overestimated in a half of morbidly obese patients using an XL probe, but CAP can be performed correctly in these patients after adapting the measurement depth.

Diagnostic accuracy of controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) as a non-invasive test for steatosis in suspected non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is a non-invasive method for diagnosing hepatic steatosis. Despite good diagnostic performance, clinical application of CAP is limited due to the influences of covariates. Here, a systematic review on the performance of CAP in the diagnosis and staging of hepatic steatosis in NAFLD patients was performed.

Methods

The sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and area under receiver operating characteristics (AUROC) curves of the pooled data for CAP in diagnosing and staging the mild (Stage 1), moderate (Stage 2) and severe (Stage 3) steatosis in NAFLD patients were assessed. The clinical utility of CAP was evaluated by Fagan plot. Heterogeneity was explored using subgroup analysis.

Results

Nine studies involving 1297 patients with liver biopsy-proven NAFLD were analyzed. The pooled sensitivity of CAP in detecting mild hepatic steatosis was 87% with a specificity of 91% and a DOR of 84.35. The pooled sensitivity of CAP in detecting moderate hepatic steatosis was 85% with a specificity of 74% and a DOR of 21.28. For severe steatosis, the pooled sensitivity was 76% with a specificity of 58% and a DOR of 4.70. The mean AUROC value for CAP in the diagnosis of mild, moderate, and severe steatosis was 0.96, 0.82 and 0.70, respectively. A subgroup analysis indicated that variation in the geographic regions, cutoffs, age and body mass index (BMI) could be the potential sources of heterogeneity in the diagnosis of moderate to severe steatosis.

Conclusions

CAP should be cautiously considered as a non-invasive substitute for liver biopsy in clinical practice.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12876-019-0961-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Haptoglobin 2-2 Genotype is Associated with More Advanced Disease in Subjects with Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis: A Retrospective Study

INTRODUCTION

Haptoglobin (Hp) genotypes were reported as an independent risk factor for metabolic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the association between Hp gene polymorphism and the severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

METHODS

A total of 441 subjects (NAFLD group, n = 272; healthy control, n = 169) were recruited, and their clinical biochemical parameters were measured in all subjects. Haptoglobin genotyping was performed using genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes. Among the NAFLD group, 107 patients underwent liver biopsy, and histology was evaluated by a pathologist on the basis of the CRN scoring system.

RESULTS

NAFLD patients had much lower frequency of Hp 1-1 genotype and higher frequency of Hp 2-2 than healthy controls (0.4% vs 9.5%, 55.8% vs 47.9%, P < 0.001). NAFLD patients with Hp 2-2 genotype had much higher levels of body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol (TC), liver enzymes, ferritin, and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) values than non-Hp 2-2 genotype (P < 0.05). In histology, patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) had higher frequency of Hp 2-2 genotype than non-NASH patients (71.3% vs 22.2%, P < 0.001); patients with significant fibrosis had higher frequency of Hp 2-2 genotype (78.3% vs 54.8%, P < 0.05) than no/mild fibrosis patients. NAFLD patients with Hp 2-2 genotype had higher proportion with higher steatosis scores, lobular inflammation scores, ballooning scores, NAFLD activity scores (NAS), and fibrosis stages (P < 0.05 for all) than Hp 2-2 groups. Furthermore, Hp 2-2 genotype was independently associated with NASH (OR = 5.985, P < 0.05) and significant fibrosis (OR = 6.584, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Hp 2-2 genotype is closely associated with the severity of NAFLD.

Controlled Attenuation Parameter for Assessment of Hepatic Steatosis in Indian Patients

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The gold standard method for measurement of hepatic steatosis is liver histology. Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) can measure hepatic steatosis non-invasively. We aimed to assess the accuracy of CAP for detection of hepatic steatosis.

METHODS

A total of 462 patients (May 2012-January 2017)-89 non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, 182 chronic hepatitis B, 88 chronic hepatitis C and 103 patients with other etiologies who underwent simultaneous liver biopsy and CAP estimation using Transient Elastography (TE) were included. Steatosis was graded as S0: steatosis in 0-5% of hepatocytes, S1: 6-33%, S2: 34-66% and S3: 67-100%. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate the accuracy of CAP in detecting hepatic steatosis. Predictors of CAP were assessed by multivariate linear regression model.

RESULTS

The mean age ± SD was 33.8 ± 11.6 years; 296 (64.1%) were males. On liver histology, steatosis grades S0, S1, S2 and S3 were seen in 331 (71.6%), 74 (16.0%), 39 (8.4%) and 18 (3.9%), respectively. The median CAP (IQR) values for S0, S1, S2, and S3 steatosis were 206 (176-252) dB/m, 295 (257-331) dB/m, 320 (296-356) dB/m, and 349 (306-363) dB/m, respectively. For estimation of ≥S1, ≥S2, and ≥S3 using CAP, AUROC were 0.879, 0.893, and 0.883, respectively. In multivariate analysis, only BMI (OR 1.18; CI, 1.11-1.26, P < 0.001) and grade of hepatic steatosis (grade 1, OR, 3.94; 95% CI, 1.58-9.84, P = 0.003; grade 2, OR 42.04; 95% CI, 4.97-355.31, P = 0.001 and grade 3, OR 35.83; 95% CI 4.31-297.61, P = 0.001) independently predicted CAP.

CONCLUSIONS

CAP detects hepatic steatosis with good accuracy in Indian patients with various etiologies.

Quantitative Hepatic Fat Quantification in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Using Ultrasound-Based Techniques: A Review of Literature and Their Diagnostic Performance

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a condition that is characterized by the presence of >5% fat in the liver and affects more than one billion people worldwide. If adequate and early precautions are not taken, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease can progress to cirrhosis and death. The current reference standard for detecting hepatic steatosis is a liver biopsy. However, because of the potential morbidity associated with liver biopsies, non-invasive imaging biomarkers have been extensively investigated. Magnetic resonance imaging-based methods have proven accuracy in quantifying liver steatosis; however, these techniques are costly and have limited availability. Ultrasound-based quantitative imaging techniques are increasingly utilized because of their widespread availability, ease of use and relative cost-effectiveness. Several ultrasound-based liver fat quantification techniques have been investigated, including techniques that measure changes in the acoustic properties of the liver caused by the presence of fat. In this review, we focus on quantitative ultrasound approaches and their diagnostic performance in the realm of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.