The gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio (GPR) predicts significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with chronic HBV infection in West Africa

A blood-based PT-LIFE (Pediatric Liver Transplantation-LIver Fibrosis Evaluation) biomarker panel for non-invasive evaluation of pediatric liver fibrosis after liver transplantation: a prospective derivation and validation study

Allograft fibrosis is increasingly detected in graft biopsies as the postoperative period extends, potentially emerging as a pivotal determinant of long-term graft function and graft survival among pediatric recipients. Currently, there is a paucity of non-invasive diagnostic tools capable of identifying allograft fibrosis in pediatric recipients of liver transplants. This study involved 507 pediatric liver transplant patients and developed a novel blood-based diagnostic assay, PT-LIFE, to noninvasively distinguish allograft fibrosis using blood samples, clinical data, and biopsy outcomes. The PT-LIFE assay was derived from a matrix of 23 variables and validated in two independent cohorts. It integrates three biomarkers (LECT2, YKL-40, FBLN3) with an AUROC of 0.91. In the pooled analysis, a PT-LIFE score lower than 0.12 identified LAFSc 0-2 with a sensitivity of 91.9%, whereas scores above 0.29 indicated LAFSc 3-6, with a specificity of 88.4%. The PT-LIFE assay presents as a promising non-invasive diagnostic tool for the detection of allograft fibrosis in pediatric liver transplant recipients. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT05308628.

Radiomic Features at Contrast-Enhanced CT Predict Virus-Driven Liver Fibrosis: A Multi-Institutional Study

INTRODUCTION

Liver fibrosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among in patients with chronic hepatitis. Radiomics, particularly of the spleen, may improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment strategies. External validations are necessary to ensure reliability and generalizability.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, we developed 3 radiomics models using contrast-enhanced computed tomography scans from 167 patients with liver fibrosis (training group) between January 2020 and December 2021. Radiomic features were extracted from arterial venous, portal venous, and equilibrium phase images. Recursive feature selection random forest and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression were used for feature selection and dimensionality reduction. Performance was assessed by area under the curve, C-index, calibration plots, and decision curve analysis. External validation was performed on 114 patients from 2 institutions.

RESULTS

Twenty-five radiomic features were significantly associated with fibrosis stage, with 80% of the top 10 features originating from portal venous phase spleen images. The radiomics models showed good performance in the validation cohort (C-indices 0.723-0.808) and excellent calibration. Decision curve analysis indicated clinical benefits, with machine learning-based radiomics models (Random Forest score and support vector machine based radiomics score) providing more significant advantages.

DISCUSSION

Radiomic features offer significant benefits over existing serum indices for staging virus-driven liver fibrosis, underscoring the value of radiomics in enhancing diagnostic accuracy. Specifically, radiomics analysis of the spleen presents additional noninvasive options for assessing fibrosis, highlighting its potential in improving patient management and outcomes.

Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry-Based Simultaneous Analysis of 32 Bile Acids in Plasma and Conventional Biomarker-Integrated Diagnostic Screening Model Development for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Imaging tests, tumor marker (TM) screening, and biochemical tests provide a definitive diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, some patients with HCC may present TM-negative results, warranting a need for developing more sensitive and accurate screening biomarkers. Various diseases exhibit increased blood levels of bile acids, biosynthesized from cholesterol in the liver, and they have been associated with HCC. Herein, we analyzed plasma bile acids using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry and integrated them with conventional biomarkers to develop a diagnostic screening model for HCC. Plasma samples were obtained from patients diagnosed with chronic hepatitis, hepatic cirrhosis (HC), and HCC. A QTRAP 6500 mass spectrometer and a Nexera liquid chromatograph with a YMC-Triart C18 analytical column were used. The mobile phase A was a 20 mmol/L ammonium formate solution, and mobile phase B was a methanol/acetonitrile mixture (1:1, v/v) with 20 mmol/L ammonium formate. After determining the concentrations of 32 bile acids, statistical analysis and diagnostic screening model development were performed. Plasma concentrations of bile acids differed between sample groups, with significant differences observed between patients with HC and HCC. By integrating bile acid results with conventional biochemical tests, a potential diagnostic screening model for HCC was successfully developed. Future studies should increase the sample size and analyze the data in detail to verify the diagnostic efficacy of the model.

Early identification of hepatocellular carcinoma patients at high-risk of recurrence using the ADV score: a multicenter retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Postoperative recurrence is a vital reason for poor 5-year overall survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. The ADV score is considered a parameter that can quantify HCC aggressiveness. This study aimed to identify HCC patients at high-risk of recurrence early using the ADV score.

METHODS

The medical data of consecutive HCC patients undergoing hepatectomy from The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (TFAHNJMU) and Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital (NJDTH) were retrospectively reviewed. Based on the status of microvascular invasion and the Edmondson-Steiner grade, HCC patients were divided into three groups: low-risk group (group 1: no risk factor exists), medium-risk group (group 2: one risk factor exists), and high-risk group (group 3: coexistence of two risk factors). In the training cohort (TFAHNJMU), the R package nnet was used to establish a multi-categorical unordered logistic regression model based on the ADV score to predict three risk groups. The Welch's T-test was used to compare differences in clinical variables in three predicted risk groups. NJDTH served as an external validation center. At last, the confusion matrix was developed using the R package caret to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the model.

RESULTS

350 and 405 patients from TFAHNJMU and NJDTH were included. HCC patients in different risk groups had significantly different liver function and inflammation levels. Density maps demonstrated that the ADV score could best differentiate between the three risk groups. The probability curve was plotted according to the predicted results of the multi-categorical unordered logistic regression model, and the best cut-off values of the ADV score were as follows: low-risk ≤ 3.4 log, 3.4 log < medium-risk ≤ 5.7 log, and high-risk > 5.7 log. The sensitivities of the ADV score predicting the high-risk group (group 3) were 70.2% (99/141) and 78.8% (63/80) in the training and external validation cohort, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The ADV score might become a valuable marker for screening patients at high-risk of HCC recurrence with a cut-off value of 5.7 log, which might help surgeons, pathologists, and HCC patients make appropriate clinical decisions.

A combination model of CT-based radiomics and clinical biomarkers for staging liver fibrosis in the patients with chronic liver disease

A combined model was developed using contrast-enhanced CT-based radiomics features and clinical characteristics to predict liver fibrosis stages in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). We retrospectively analyzed multiphase CT scans and biopsy-confirmed liver fibrosis. 160 CLD patients were randomly divided into 7:3 training/validation ratio. Clinical laboratory indicators associated with liver fibrosis were identified using Spearman's correlation and multivariate logistic regression correlation. Radiomic features were extracted after segmenting the entire liver from multiphase CT images. Feature dimensionality reduction was performed using RF-RFE, LASSO, and mRMR methods. Six radiomics-based models were developed in the training cohort of 112 patients. Internal validation was conducted on 48 randomly assigned patients. Receptor Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and confusion matrices were constructed to evaluate model performance. The radiomics model exhibited robust performance, with AUC values of 0.810 to 1.000 for significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis. The integrated clinical-radiomics model had superior diagnostic efficacy in the validation cohort, with AUC values of 0.836 to 0.997. Moreover, these models outperformed established biomarkers such as the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) and the fibrosis 4 score (FIB-4), as well as the gamma glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio (GPR), in predicting the fibrotic stages. The clinical-radiomics model holds considerable promise as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for the assessment and staging of liver fibrosis in the patients with CLD, potentially leading to better patient management and outcomes.

Clinical value of -glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio and triglyceride measurement in the diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A cross-sectional study

Objective

In clinical practice, there are few effective biomarkers for identifying non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of this study is to investigate the diagnostic value of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio (GPR) combined with triglyceride (TG) in NAFLD.

Methods

A total of 14,415 individuals participated in the annual physical examination. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the exposure factors associated with NAFLD. Spearman's analysis was performed to assess the correlation among the exposure factors of NAFLD. Furthermore, the diagnostic efficacy of the combination of GPR and TG in NAFLD was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC).

Results

The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that BMI (OR = 1.619), Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) (OR = 1.014), Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) (OR = 1.028), GPR (OR = 12.809), and TG (OR = 2.936) were all risk factors for NAFLD, while HDL-C (OR = 0.215) was a protective factor. Spearman correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations between GPR and SBP, DBP, BMI, TG (p < 0.01), but a negative correlation between GPR and HDL-C (p < 0.01). TG was only positively correlated with GPR (p < 0.001). ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the area under the curve (AUC) of GPR combined with TG for diagnosis of NAFLD was 0.855 (95 % CI: 0.819-0.891), sensitivity was 83.45 % and specificity was 73.56 %.

Conclusion

This study indicated that high levels of GPR and TG were risk factors for NAFLD and demonstrated good clinical value in diagnosing NAFLD.

Prognostic nomogram based on the gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-to-platelet ratio for patients with compensated cirrhotic hepatocellular carcinoma after local ablation

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with compensated cirrhosis typically face a high prevalence and unfavorable prognosis. However, there is currently a deficiency in prediction models to anticipate the prognosis of these patients. Therefore, our study included the Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-to-platelet ratio (GPR) in analysis and aimed to develop a nomogram for HCC patients with compensated cirrhosis after local ablation.

Methods

Enrolling 669 patients who underwent local ablation at Beijing You'an Hospital during the period from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2022, this study focused on individuals with compensated cirrhotic HCC. In a ratio of 7:3, patients were allocated to the training cohort (n=468) and the validation cohort (n=201). Lasso-Cox regression was employed to identify independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). Subsequently, a nomogram was constructed using these factors and was validated through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

GPR, age, and hemoglobin were identified by Lasso-Cox regression as independent prognostic factors of the nomogram. The area under the ROC curves (AUCs) for 3-, 5-, and 8-year OS (0.701, 0.755, and 0.768 for the training cohort; 0.684, 0.707, and 0.778 for the validation cohort), and C-indices (0.695 for training cohort; 0.679 for validation cohort) exhibited the excellent predictive ability of the nomogram. Calibration curves and DCA curves indicated favorable calibration performance and clinical utility. Patients were further stratified into two risk groups according to the median nomogram score. There existed an obvious distinction between the two groups both in the training cohort and validation cohort.

Conclusion

In summary, this research established and validated a novel nomogram to predict OS, which had good predictive power for HCC patients with compensated cirrhosis after local ablation.

A New Assessment of Two Transferase-Based Liver Enzymes in Low- and High-Fibrosis Patients Chronically Infected with Hepatitis B Virus: A Meta-Analysis and Pilot Study

Background: The detection of fibrosis remains a necessity for the evaluation of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients, but the most accurate technique is invasive. Current studies aim to develop a novel noninvasive biomarker for fibrosis assessment, but no-one has found the ideal candidate. This study is a meta-analysis combined with a pilot study to investigate the connection between two transferase compounds and the levels of fibrosis. Methods: We studied data from PUBMED, Web of Science, and Scopus, retrieving 28,896 articles. Following PRISMA guidelines, we finally analyzed full-text articles written in English. The excluded items were duplicates, non-article entries, and irrelevant papers. We assessed the variations in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels between patients with high and low levels of fibrosis. Joanna Briggs Institute tools were used to assess article quality. We used R 4.2.2 for statistics. The pilot study included 14 randomly chosen patients with different fibrosis levels. Results: We found significant differences in ALT and GGT levels between patients with high and low fibrosis. The GGT/ALT ratio correlated with the levels of fibrosis and the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score. Conclusions: This meta-analysis assessed ALT and GGT levels in chronic HBV patients with fibrosis. The pilot study identified the first association between fibrosis and the GGT/ALT ratio in a Romanian cohort of chronic patients. This brings new ideas for future research.

Correlation analysis of gamma-glutamyl transferase to lymphocyte ratio and patients with acute aortic syndrome in China: a propensity score-matched analysis

Background and objectives

Acute aortic syndrome (AAS) is a life-threatening condition in which there is a fracture in the integrity of the aortic wall. gamma-glutamyl transferase to lymphocyte ratio (GLR) is recognized as a risk factor for liver cirrhosis, fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, there are no clinical reports of GLR and AAS. We attempted to determine whether GLR level is associated with AAS in patients from the Chaoshan region of southern China.

Methods

A total of 2,384 patients were recruited in this study and were divided into AAS and no-AAS groups according to the results of CT angiography of the thoracoabdominal aorta. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors for the occurrence of AAS. ROC was applied to assess the value of D-Dimer, GLR alone, or in combination for the diagnosis of AAS. And a 1:1 propensity score-matched analysis was performed.

Results

Multivariate logistics regression analysis indicated that male, age, hypertension, diabetes, creatinine, D-dimer, and GLR were independent risk factors of AAS patients in the before propensity score-matching cohort. After propensity score-matching, it showed that D-dimer, GLR [OR 3.558(1.891, 6.697); p < 0.001] were independent risk factors of AAS patients. Before propensity score-matching, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.822 of GLR and 0.767 of D-dimer. When both clinical backgrounds were adjusted, the AUC was 0.773 of GLR and 0.631 of D-dimer. GLR showed high specificity (80.5% and 77.1%), and D-dimer showed high sensitivity (84.7% and 73.6%) in the before and after propensity score-matching cohort.

Conclusion

GLR and D-dimer were independent risk factors of acute aortic syndrome. D-dimer in combination with GLR is more valuable than a single indicator for diagnosing acute aortic syndrome.

Liver histological changes in untreated chronic hepatitis B patients in indeterminate phase

BACKGROUND

Studies with large size samples on the liver histological changes of indeterminate phase chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients were not previously conducted.

AIM

To assess the liver histological changes in the indeterminate phase CHB patients using liver biopsy.

METHODS

The clinical and laboratory data of 1532 untreated CHB patients were collected, and all patients had least once liver biopsy from January 2015 to December 2021. The significant differences among different phases of CHB infection were compared with t-test, and the risk factors of significant liver histological changes were analyzed by the multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Among 1532 untreated CHB patients, 814 (53.13%) patients were in the indeterminate phase. Significant liver histological changes (defined as biopsy score ≥ G2 and/or ≥ S2) were found in 488/814 (59.95%) CHB patients in the indeterminate phase. Significant liver histological changes were significant differences among different age, platelets (PLTs), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) subgroup in indeterminate patient. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that age ≥ 40 years old [adjust odd risk (aOR), 1.44; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06-1.97; P = 0.02], PLTs ≤ 150 × 109/L (aOR, 2.99; 95%CI: 1.85-4.83; P < 0.0001), and ALT ≥ upper limits of normal (aOR, 1.48; 95%CI: 1.08, 2.05, P = 0.0163) were independent risk factors for significant liver histological changes in CHB patients in the indeterminate phase.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggested that significant liver histological changes were not rare among the untreated CHB patients in indeterminate phase, and additional strategies are urgently required for the management of these patients.

The non-invasive serum biomarkers contributes to indicate liver fibrosis staging and evaluate the progress of chronic hepatitis B

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic abilities of the non-invasive serum biomarkers to predict liver fibrosis staging and evaluate the progress of hepatitis B.

METHODS

We enrolled 433 patients with chronic HBV infection had complete medical data available for the study, who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy. The extent of fibrosis was assessed using the modified METAVIR score. The predictive values of the non-invasive serum biomarkers were evaluated by the areas under the receiving operator characteristics curves (AUROCs) with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

The proportion of males with progressive stages of liver fibrosis was relatively larger, and the average age of patients with cirrhosis stages is older than the non-cirrhotic stages. We found PLT, GGT, ALP, TB, FIB4 and GPR to be significantly associated with liver fibrosis in our cohort. GGT showed a sensitivity of 71.4% and specificity of 76.7% in distinguishing cirrhosis (F4) from non-cirrhotic stages (F1-3), with an AUROC of 0.775 (95%CI 0.711-0.840).The AUROCs of the GPR in distinguishing cirrhosis (F4) from non-cirrhotic stages (F1-3) was 0.794 (95%CI 0.734-0.853), but it had a lower sensitivity of 59.2%. Additionally, GGT, FIB4, and GPR could differentiate advanced fibrosis (F3-4) from non-advanced fibrosis (F1-2) among individuals with chronic hepatitis B, with AUROCs of 0.723 (95%CI 0.668-0.777), 0.729 (95%CI 0.675-0.782), and 0.760 (95%CI: 0.709-0.811) respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

GGT was a better biomarker to distinguish cirrhosis (F4) from non-cirrhotic stages (F1-3), while GPR was a better biomarker to identify advanced fibrosis (F3-4) and non-advanced fibrosis (F1-2) in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

LiverRisk score: An accurate, cost-effective tool to predict fibrosis, liver-related, and diabetes-related mortality in the general population

BACKGROUND

Noninvasive and early assessment of liver fibrosis is of great significance and is challenging. We aimed to evaluate the predictive performance and cost-effectiveness of the LiverRisk score for liver fibrosis and liver-related and diabetes-related mortality in the general population.

METHODS

The general population from the NHANES 2017-March 2020, NHANES 1999-2018, and UK Biobank 2006-2010 were included in the cross-sectional cohort (n = 3,770), along with the NHANES follow-up cohort (n = 25,317) and the UK Biobank follow-up cohort (n = 17,259). The cost-effectiveness analysis was performed using TreeAge Pro software. Liver stiffness measurements ≥10 kPa were defined as compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD).

FINDINGS

Compared to conventional scores, the LiverRisk score had significantly better accuracy and calibration in predicting liver fibrosis, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.76 (0.72-0.79) for cACLD. According to the updated thresholds of LiverRisk score (6 and 10), we reclassified the population into three groups: low, medium, and high risk. The AUCs of LiverRisk score for predicting liver-related and diabetes-related mortality at 5, 10, and 15 years were all above 0.8, with better performance than the Fibrosis-4 score. Furthermore, compared to the low-risk group, the medium-risk and high-risk groups in the two follow-up cohorts had a significantly higher risk of liver-related and diabetes-related mortality. Finally, the cost-effectiveness analysis showed that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for LiverRisk score compared to FIB-4 was USD $18,170 per additional quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained, below the willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000/QALY.

CONCLUSIONS

The LiverRisk score is an accurate, cost-effective tool to predict liver fibrosis and liver-related and diabetes-related mortality in the general population.

FUNDING

The National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 82330060, 92059202, and 92359304); the Key Research and Development Program of Jiangsu Province (BE2023767a); the Fundamental Research Fund of Southeast University (3290002303A2); Changjiang Scholars Talent Cultivation Project of Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University (2023YJXYYRCPY03); and the Research Personnel Cultivation Program of Zhongda Hospital Southeast University (CZXM-GSP-RC125).

Elevated serum HE4 levels as a novel biomarker of disease severity and hepatic fibrosis in autoimmune hepatitis

BACKGROUND

Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) has been identified as a biomarker for renal fibrosis. This study aimed to evaluate the role of HE4 in the diagnosis and determination of disease severity and hepatic fibrosis in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

METHODS

Serum HE4 levels were determined via electrochemiluminescence immunoassays in 60 healthy controls and 109 AIH patients (43 without liver cirrhosis and 66 with liver cirrhosis). Liver biopsy was performed on 56 of 109 enrolled patients. We conducted a 5-year follow-up survey of 53 enrolled patients. All continuous variables were reported as median (25th-75th percentile).

RESULTS

Serum HE4 levels were significantly elevated in autoimmune hepatitis with liver cirrhosis (AIH-LC) patients compared with AIH patients and healthy controls [98.60 (74.15-139.08) vs 73.50 (59.88-82.00) vs 48.75 (43.38-52.93) pmol/L, p = 0.004]. The serum HE4 levels showed a positive correlation with the METAVIR scoring system in patients with liver biopsy (r = 0.711, p < 0.001). Serum HE4 levels were significantly elevated in Child-Pugh class C patients compared with Child-Pugh class B patients and Child-Pugh class A patients [106.50 (83.46-151.25) vs 110.00 (73.83-166.75) vs 77.03 (72.35-83.33) pmol/L, p = 0.006]. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of serum HE4 for evaluating liver cirrhosis were 69.7 % and 79.07 %, respectively, with a cutoff value of 82.34 pmol/L in enrolled patients. The logistic regression analysis showed that high levels of HE4 (≥82.34 pmol/L) were associated with AIH-LC (OR = 8.751, 95 % CI = 1.412-54.225, p = 0.020). The Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated that high levels of serum HE4 (≥82.34 pmol/L) were associated with poor outcome (log-rank p = 0.037, HR = 0.372, 95 % CI = 0.146-0.946).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum HE4 levels were found to be elevated in AIH-LC patients and exhibited a strong correlation with the severity of hepatic fibrosis, thus supporting their potential clinical value as a novel biomarker of disease severity and hepatic fibrosis in AIH.

Global elimination of HBV: Is it really achievable?

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major cause of premature death worldwide. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for HBV elimination and set up very ambitious elimination targets. The development of effective vaccines, accurate diagnostic tools and safe antiviral drugs make HBV elimination a realistic goal. However, the most constrained-resource regions, which bear the highest burden of HBV, are facing major challenges in implementing strategies to reduce HBV incidence and mortality. Developing simplified approaches adapted to resource-limited settings and scaling up interventions for the prevention and control of HBV globally are urgently needed. Whether HBV elimination will be achieved in an equitable manner and in a reasonable timeframe remains highly uncertain.

Noninvasive models for the prediction of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of aspartate aminotransferase(AST)/ alanine transaminase (ALT), AST to platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis-4 score (FIB-4) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet count ratio (GPR) for hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

METHODS

A total of 1210 CHB patients who underwent liver biopsy were divided into two groups: patients with no significant fibrosis (control group) and patients with significant fibrosis, and routine laboratory tests were retrospectively included. Logistic regression models were used for the prediction, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) was used to assess the diagnostic accuracy.

RESULTS

A total of 631 (52.1%) and 275 (22.7%) patients had significant fibrosis (≥ S2) and advanced fibrosis (≥ S3), respectively. The GPR showed significantly higher diagnostic accuracy than that of APRI, FiB-4, and AST/ALT to predict ≥ S2(significant fibrosis) and ≥ S3 fibrosis(advanced fibrosis), with an AUROC was 0.69 (95%CI: 0.66-0.71) and 0.72 (0.69-0.75), respectively. After stratified by the status of HBeAg ( positive or negative), GPR, APRI, and FiB-4 showed improved predicting performance for significant fibrosis and advanced fibrosis in HBeAg positive patients, with the most significant improvement was shown for GPR in predicting significant fibrosis (AUROC = 0.74, 95%CI: 0.70-0.78).

CONCLUSIONS

Among the four noninvasive models, GPR has the best performance in the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis in CHB patients and is more valuable in HBeAg-positive patients.

Systemic Inflammatory Indices and Liver Dysfunction in Turner Syndrome Patients: A Retrospective Case-control Study

Context

Liver function abnormalities have been reported in patients with Turner syndrome (TS); however, the pathophysiological mechanisms have not been well elucidated. Low-grade inflammation has been associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Objective

We studied systemic inflammatory indices [aspartate transaminase to lymphocyte ratio index (ALRI), aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index (APRI), gamma-glutamyl transferase to platelet ratio (GPR), neutrophil-lymphocyte-ratio (NLR), and platelet lymphocyte ratio and examined their associations with the hepatic abnormalities observed in these subjects.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of the medical records of 79 patients with TS (mean age 32.5 ± 9.2 SD years) who were treated at the University Hospital of Nancy. Using matched-pair analyses based on age and body mass index (BMI), we compared 66 patients with TS (25.6 ± 7.3 years; BMI 25.9 ± 6.3 kg/m2) to 66 healthy control participants (24.7 ± 6.8 years; BMI 26 ± 6.7 kg/m2).

Results

Liver function abnormalities were present in 57% of the patients with TS. The ALRI, APRI, GPR, and NLR were significantly greater in patients with TS who presented with liver dysfunction than in patients with TS who had normal liver function. According to the matched-pair analyses, the ALRI, APRI, and GPR were greater in patients with TS than in healthy control participants. Logistic regression revealed that a diagnosis of TS was significantly associated with ALRI, APRI, and GPR and liver dysfunction.

Conclusion

Noninvasive inflammatory indices (ALRI, APRI, and GPR) might be a promising indicators of liver dysfunction in patients with TS. Future prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings and to explore the clinical significance and prognostic value of systemic inflammatory indices in Turner syndrome.

DGPRI, a new liver fibrosis assessment index, predicts recurrence of AFP-negative hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatic resection: a single-center retrospective study

Although patients with alpha-fetoprotein-negative hepatocellular carcinoma (AFPNHCC) have a favorable prognosis, a high risk of postoperative recurrence remains. We developed and validated a novel liver fibrosis assessment index, the direct bilirubin-gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-to-platelet ratio (DGPRI). DGPRI was calculated for each of the 378 patients with AFPNHCC who underwent hepatic resection. The patients were divided into high- and low-score groups using the optimal cutoff value. The Lasso-Cox method was used to identify the characteristics of postoperative recurrence, followed by multivariate Cox regression analysis to determine the independent risk factors associated with recurrence. A nomogram model incorporating the DGPRI was developed and validated. High DGPRI was identified as an independent risk factor (hazard ratio = 2.086) for postoperative recurrence in patients with AFPNHCC. DGPRI exhibited better predictive ability for recurrence 1-5 years after surgery than direct bilirubin and the gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-to-platelet ratio. The DGPRI-nomogram model demonstrated good predictive ability, with a C-index of 0.674 (95% CI 0.621-0.727). The calibration curves and clinical decision analysis demonstrated its clinical utility. The DGPRI nomogram model performed better than the TNM and BCLC staging systems for predicting recurrence-free survival. DGPRI is a novel and effective predictor of postoperative recurrence in patients with AFPNHCC and provides a superior assessment of preoperative liver fibrosis.

The Clinical Association Between the Inflammation-Nutritional Condition and Prognosis of Locally Advanced Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma After R0 Resection: Evidence from Competing Risk and Propensity Matching Analysis

Background

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) correlates with poor outcomes, necessitating the identification of prognostic factors from an inflammation-nutritional perspective in locally advanced ICC patients after R0 resection.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 159 locally advanced ICC patients from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, as well as competing risk analysis, were conducted to explore prognostic variables for locally advanced ICC following surgery. To validate the robustness of our findings, we performed propensity score matching (PSM) analyses to evaluate survival differences based on inflammation-nutritional indexes.

Results

Considering non-cancer-specific death as competing risk factors, both systemic immune-inflammation index (SII, HR: 1.934) and prognostic nutrition index (PNI, HR: 0.604) emerged as significant prognostic variables for locally advanced ICC after R0 resection (P < 0.05). After PSM, the survival benefit between the low and high PNI sets remained clear (median survival time: 15.7 months vs 35.1 months, P = 0.002). Although the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of the low SII group was higher than that of the high SII group, the difference was not statistically significant (17.5% VS 27.4%, P = 0.112). Other influencing factors included tumor number, tumor diameter, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) levels, and postoperative adjuvant therapy.

Conclusion

Individual inflammatory and nutritional status significantly impact the prognosis of locally advanced ICC undergoing R0 hapectomy. Oncologists should consider incorporating inflammation-nutritional conditions into the decision-making process for this subset of advanced ICC.

Cystic fibrosis screening, evaluation, and management of hepatobiliary disease consensus recommendations

Cystic fibrosis (CF) may cause a spectrum of hepatobiliary complications, including portal hypertension, multilobular cirrhosis, and liver failure. Current guidelines on the detection and monitoring of hepatobiliary complications in CF were published in 1999. The CF Foundation assembled a committee to evaluate research advances and formulate revised guidelines for CF-associated liver disease. A committee of hepatologists, gastroenterologists, pulmonologists, pharmacists, nurses, dietitians, individuals with CF, and the parents of a child with CF devised "population, intervention, comparison, and outcome" questions regarding hepatobiliary disease in CF. PubMed literature searches were performed for each population, intervention, comparison, and outcome question. Recommendations were voted on with 80% agreement required to approve a recommendation. Public comment on initial recommendations was solicited prior to the formulation of final recommendations. Thirty-one population, intervention, comparison, and outcome questions were assembled, 6401 manuscripts were title screened for relevance, with 1053 manuscripts undergoing detailed full-text review. Seven recommendations were approved for screening, 13 for monitoring of existing disease, and 14 for treatment of CF-associated hepatobiliary involvement or advanced liver disease. One recommendation on liver biopsy did not meet the 80% threshold. One recommendation on screening ultrasound was revised and re-voted on. Through a multidisciplinary committee and public engagement, we have assembled updated recommendations and guidance on screening, monitoring, and treatment of CF-associated hepatobiliary involvement and advanced liver disease. While research gaps remain, we anticipate that these recommendations will lead to improvements in CF outcomes through earlier detection and increased evidence-based approaches to monitoring and treatment.

Letter: Use of liver stiffness measurement to identify liver cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis D

This article is linked to Sandmann et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17878 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17962

Development and evaluation of a simple treatment eligibility score (HEPSANET) to decentralise hepatitis B care in Africa: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) elimination requires expanding and decentralising HBV care services. However, peripheral health facilities lack access to diagnostic tools to assess eligibility for antiviral therapy. Through the Hepatitis B in Africa Collaborative Network (HEPSANET), we aimed to develop and evaluate a score using tests generally available at lower-level facilities, to simplify the evaluation of antiviral therapy eligibility in people living with HBV.

METHODS

We surveyed the availability of clinical and laboratory parameters across different health-care levels in sub-Saharan Africa. We used data from the HEPSANET dataset, the largest cross-sectional dataset of treatment-naive people living with HBV in sub-Saharan Africa, to derive and validate the score. Participants from this dataset were included in the analysis if they were aged 18 years or older and had liver fibrosis stages determined by a liver stiffness measurement or liver histopathology. Participants with co-infections or metabolic disorders were excluded. We allocated participants to the derivation and validation sets by geographical site. In the derivation set, we used stepwise logistic regression to identify the best performing parameters for identifying participants that met the 2017 European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) criteria. Regression coefficients were converted into integer points to construct simplified algorithms for different health-care levels. In the validation set, we estimated the area under the receiver operating characteristic, sensitivity, and specificity of the simplified algorithm for identifying antiviral therapy eligibility defined by the 2017 EASL criteria.

FINDINGS

At 11 sites from eight countries that returned surveys, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and platelet count were generally available at district hospital levels, and hepatitis B e antigen and point-of-care HBV DNA tests were available only at regional and provincial hospital levels or above. Among 2895 participants included from the HEPSANET database (1740 [60·1%] male, 1155 [39·9%] female), 409 (14·1%) met EASL antiviral therapy eligibility criteria. In the derivation set, the optimal district-level hospital score was: ALT (IU/L), less than 40 (0 points), 40-79 (+1), 80 or greater (+2); AST (IU/L), less than 40 (0), 40-79 (+1), 80 or greater (+2); and platelet counts (109/L), less than 100 (+2), 100-149 (+1), 150 or greater (0). When combined with family history and clinical data for decompensated cirrhosis that do not require any biological tests, a cut-off of 2 points or more had a sensitivity and specificity of 82% (95% CI 76-86) and 95% (93-96) to identify treatment-eligible individuals in the derivation set, and 78% (71-85) and 87% (86-89) in the validation set, respectively.

INTERPRETATION

Using a score incorporating platelet counts, AST, and ALT, the majority of people living with HBV requiring antiviral therapy can be identified. Our findings suggest that clinical staging can be decentralised down to district hospital level in sub-Saharan Africa.

FUNDING

European Association for the Study of the Liver Foundation, John C Martin Foundation.

TRANSLATION

For the French translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Accuracy of blood-based biomarkers for staging liver fibrosis in chronic liver disease: A systematic review supporting the AASLD Practice Guideline

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Blood-based biomarkers have been proposed as an alternative to liver biopsy for noninvasive liver disease assessment in chronic liver disease. Our aims for this systematic review were to evaluate the diagnostic utility of selected blood-based tests either alone, or in combination, for identifying significant fibrosis (F2-4), advanced fibrosis (F3-4), and cirrhosis (F4), as compared to biopsy in chronic liver disease.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

We included a comprehensive search of databases including Ovid MEDLINE(R), EMBASE, Cochrane Database, and Scopus through to April 2022. Two independent reviewers selected 286 studies with 103,162 patients. The most frequently identified studies included the simple aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index and fibrosis (FIB)-4 markers (with low-to-moderate risk of bias) in HBV and HCV, HIV-HCV/HBV coinfection, and NAFLD. Positive (LR+) and negative (LR-) likelihood ratios across direct and indirect biomarker tests for HCV and HBV for F2-4, F3-4, or F4 were 1.66-6.25 and 0.23-0.80, 1.89-5.24 and 0.12-0.64, and 1.32-7.15 and 0.15-0.86, respectively; LR+ and LR- for NAFLD F2-4, F3-4, and F4 were 2.65-3.37 and 0.37-0.39, 2.25-6.76 and 0.07-0.87, and 3.90 and 0.15, respectively. Overall, the proportional odds ratio indicated FIB-4 <1.45 was better than aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index <0.5 for F2-4. FIB-4 >3.25 was also better than aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index >1.5 for F3-4 and F4. There was limited data for combined tests.

CONCLUSIONS

Blood-based biomarkers are associated with small-to-moderate change in pretest probability for diagnosing F2-4, F3-4, and F4 in viral hepatitis, HIV-HCV coinfection, and NAFLD, with limited comparative or combination studies for other chronic liver diseases.

Imaging-based noninvasive liver disease assessment for staging liver fibrosis in chronic liver disease: A systematic review supporting the AASLD Practice Guideline

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Transient elastography (TE), shear wave elastography, and/or magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), each providing liver stiffness measurement (LSM), are the most studied imaging-based noninvasive liver disease assessment (NILDA) techniques. To support the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases guidelines on NILDA, we summarized the evidence on the accuracy of these LSM methods to stage liver fibrosis (F).

APPROACH AND RESULTS

A comprehensive search for studies assessing LSM by TE, shear wave elastography, or MRE for the identification of significant fibrosis (F2-4), advanced fibrosis (F3-4), or cirrhosis (F4), using histopathology as the standard of reference by liver disease etiology in adults or children from inception to April 2022 was performed. We excluded studies with <50 patients with a single disease entity and mixed liver disease etiologies (with the exception of HCV/HIV coinfection). Out of 9447 studies, 240 with 61,193 patients were included in this systematic review. In adults, sensitivities for the identification of F2-4 ranged from 51% to 95%, for F3-4 from 70% to 100%, and for F4 from 60% to 100% across all techniques/diseases, whereas specificities ranged from 36% to 100%, 74% to 100%, and 67% to 99%, respectively. The largest body of evidence available was for TE; MRE appeared to be the most accurate method. Imaging-based NILDA outperformed blood-based NILDA in most comparisons, particularly for the identification of F3-4/F4. In the pediatric population, imaging-based NILDA is likely as accurate as in adults.

CONCLUSIONS

LSM from TE, shear wave elastography, and MRE shows acceptable to outstanding accuracy for the detection of liver fibrosis across various liver disease etiologies. Accuracy increased from F2-4 to F3-4 and was the highest for F4. Further research is needed to better standardize the use of imaging-based NILDA, particularly in pediatric liver diseases.

Prospective evaluation of liver shearwave elastography measurements with 3 different technologies and same day liver biopsy in patients with chronic liver disease

BACKGROUND

Most ultrasound-based methods for assessing liver fibrosis still need further validation with liver biopsy used as gold standard to assess their accuracy.

AIMS

To assess accuracy of three shear wave elastography (SWE) methods: 1) Philips Elast Point Quantification (ElastPQTM), 2) Siemens Virtual TouchTM Quantification (VTQ) acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI), and 3) transient elastography (TE) measured by Echosens FibroscanTM.

METHODS

160 patients underwent liver stiffness measurements (LSM) with three SWE methods immediately prior to liver biopsy.

RESULTS

The number of LSM required for reliable studies could be reduced to 6 for ElastPQ and to 7 for VTQ from standard recommendations of 10. Significant fibrosis and interquartile range/median (IQR/M)> 30 were independent predictors for lower reliability for detection of liver fibrosis. Ordinal logistic regression corrected for age showed that there was a significant interaction between steatosis (p = 0.008) and lobular inflammation (p = 0.04) and VTQ (ARFI) and between lobular inflammation and TE (p = 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

We showed variations in SWE measurements using different ARFI technologies. TE and ElastPQ achieved good diagnostic performance, whereas VTQ showed lower diagnostic accuracy. The number of measurements required for reliable studies can be reduced to 6 for ElastPQ and to 7 for VTQ, which have important clinical implications.

Noninvasive Models to Assess Liver Inflammation and Fibrosis in Chronic HBV Infected Patients with Normal or Mildly Elevated Alanine Transaminase Levels: Which One Is Most Suitable?

The prevalence of substantial inflammation or fibrosis in treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and normal alanine transaminase (ALT) levels is high. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 559 consecutive patients with hepatitis B virus infection, who underwent liver biopsy, to investigate the value of noninvasive models based on routine serum markers for evaluating liver histology in CHB patients with normal or mildly elevated ALT levels and to provide treatment guidance. After comparing 55 models, we identified the top three models that exhibited excellent performance. The APGA model, based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), demonstrated a superior ability to evaluate significant (AUROC = 0.750) and advanced fibrosis (AUROC = 0.832) and demonstrated a good performance in assessing liver inflammation (AUROCs = 0.779 and 0.874 for stages G ≥ 2 and G ≥ 3, respectively). APGA also exhibited significant correlations with liver inflammation and fibrosis stage (correlation coefficients, 0.452 and 0.405, respectively (p < 0.001)). When the patients were stratified into groups based on HBeAg status and ALT level, APGA consistently outperformed the other 54 models. The other top two models, GAPI and XIE, also outperformed models based on other chronic hepatitis diseases. APGA may be the most suitable option for detecting liver fibrosis and inflammation in Chinese patients with CHB.

Liver iron overload and fat content analyzed by magnetic resonance contribute to evaluatingthe progression of chronic hepatitis B

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and its complications still have a major role in liver-related mortality. It has been indicated that hepatic iron and steatosis may influence liver fibrosis and carcinogenesis. The present study aimed to assess the liver iron and fat in patients with CHB by MRI in order to estimate the associations among liver iron, fat and the severity and progression of liver fibrosis. In the present retrospective study, consecutive patients with CHB examined from August 2018 to August 2020 were analyzed. Liver iron and fat content were assessed by MRI, which was measured as liver iron content (LIC) and proton density fat fraction (PDFF). A total of 340 patients were included in the current study. For LIC, the median value was 1.68 mg/g and elevated LIC was seen in 122 patients (35.9%). For liver fat content, the median value of PDFF was 3.1%, while only 15.0% of patients had liver steatosis (PDFF ≥5%). Age, total bilirubin and sex were independent predictive factors of liver iron overload [odds ratio (OR)=1.036, 1.005 and 8.834, respectively]. A higher platelet count (OR=1.005) and no portal hypertension (OR=0.381) independently predicted liver steatosis. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of PDFF for the identification of liver cirrhosis estimated by different non-invasive tools ranged from 0.629 to 0.704. It was concluded that iron overload was common in patients with CHB, particularly in those with older age, male sex and high total bilirubin level, and liver steatosis was less common in CHB. Liver iron and fat content analyzed by MRI may contribute to the evaluation of the severity and progression of CHB.

Hepatitis B viral replication markers and hepatic fibrosis in untreated chronic hepatitis B virus infection with and without HIV coinfection in Zambia

BACKGROUND

To inform novel therapies, a more nuanced understanding of HIV's impact on hepatitis B virus (HBV) natural history is needed, particularly in high burden countries.

METHODS

In Lusaka, Zambia, we compared prospectively recruited adults (18+ years) with chronic HBV infection, with and without HIV. We excluded those with prior antiviral treatment experience or HBV diagnosis due to clinical suspicion (rather than routine testing). We assessed HBV DNA levels, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), CD4 + (if HIV coinfection), and liver disease (transient elastography, serum alanine aminotransferase). In multivariable analyses, we evaluated the association of HIV overall and by level of CD4 + count on these markers.

RESULTS

Among 713 adults analyzed, median age was 33 years, 63% were male, and 433 had HBV/HIV coinfection. Median CD4 + count was 200 cells/μl. HBV DNA was greater than 2000 IU/ml for 311 (51.0%) and 227 (32.5%) were HBeAg-positive. 15.5% had advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis. HIV coinfection was associated with five-fold increased HBV DNA levels [adjusted geometric mean ratio, 5.78; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.29-14.62] and two times the odds of HBeAg-positivity (adjusted odds ratio, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.59-4.08). These associations were significant only at CD4 + counts 100-350 and <100 cells/μl. HIV was not associated with markers of fibrosis or ALT.

DISCUSSION

HIV's impact on HBV natural history likely depends on the degree and duration of immune suppression. There is strong rationale to monitor HBV DNA in people with HBV/HIV coinfection and immune suppression. A better understanding is needed of mechanisms of increased liver-related mortality in people with HBV/HIV coinfection.

Routine blood test markers for predicting liver disease post HBV infection: precision pathology and pattern recognition

BACKGROUND

Early stages of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection usually involve inflammation of the liver. Patients with chronic infection have an increased risk of progressive liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and life-threatening clinical complications of end-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

CONTENT

Early diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis and timely clinical management are critical to controlling disease progression and decreasing the burden of end-stage liver cancer. Fibrosis staging, through its current gold standard, liver biopsy, improves patient outcomes, but the clinical procedure is invasive with unpleasant post-procedural complications. Routine blood test markers offer promising diagnostic potential for early detection of liver disease without biopsy. There is a plethora of candidate routine blood test markers that have gone through phases of biomarker validation and have shown great promise, but their current limitations include a predictive ability that is limited to only a few stages of fibrosis. However, the advent of machine learning, notably pattern recognition, presents an opportunity to refine blood-based non-invasive models of hepatic fibrosis in the future.

SUMMARY

In this review, we highlight the current landscape of routine blood-based non-invasive models of hepatic fibrosis, and appraise the potential application of machine learning (pattern recognition) algorithms to refining these models and optimising clinical predictions of HBV-associated liver disease.

OUTLOOK

Machine learning via pattern recognition algorithms takes data analytics to a new realm, and offers the opportunity for enhanced multi-marker fibrosis stage prediction using pathology profile that leverages information across patient routine blood tests.

Improving detection of cystic fibrosis related liver disease using liver fibrosis assessment tools

Background & aims

Cystic Fibrosis related liver disease (CFLD) is the 3rd largest cause of death in Cystic Fibrosis (CF). As advances in pulmonary therapies have increased life-expectancy, CFLD has become more prevalent. Current guidelines may underdiagnose liver fibrosis, particularly in its early stages. Newer modalities for the assessment of fibrosis may provide a more accurate assessment. FibroScan is validated in assessing fibrosis for several aetiologies including alcohol and fatty liver, the CFLD cohort have an entirely different phenotype so the cut off values are not transferrable. We appraised fibrosis assessment tools to improve diagnosis of CFLD.

Methods

A prospective cohort (n = 114) of patients from the Manchester Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre, UK were identified at annual assessment. Demographic data including co-morbidity, CFTR genotyping, biochemistry and imaging were used alongside current guidelines to group into CFLD and CF without evidence of liver disease. All patients underwent liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and assessment of serum-based fibrosis biomarker panels. A new diagnostic criterion was created and validated in a second, independent cohort.

Results

12 of 114 patient classified as CFLD according to the European Cystic Fibrosis Society best practice guidelines. No specific risk factors for development of CFLD were identified. Liver enzymes were elevated in patients with CFLD. Serum biomarker panels did not improve diagnostic criteria. LSM accurately predicted CFLD. A new diagnostic criterion was proposed and validated in a separate cohort, accurately predicating CFLD in 10 of 32 patients (31 %).

Conclusion

We present a cohort of patients with CF assessed for the presence of liver fibrosis using blood biomarkers and LSM based platforms. We propose a new, simplified diagnostic criteria, capable of accurately predicting liver disease in patients with CF.Clinical trials number: NCT04277819.

Five-year results of a treatment program for chronic hepatitis B in Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

In sub-Saharan Africa, less than 1% of treatment-eligible chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients receive antiviral therapy. Experiences from local CHB programs are needed to inform treatment guidelines and policies on the continent. Here, we present 5-year results from one of the first large-scale CHB treatment programs in sub-Saharan Africa.

METHODS

Adults with CHB were enrolled in a pilot treatment program in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2015. Liver enzymes, viral markers, and transient elastography were assessed at baseline and thereafter at 6-month intervals. Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate was initiated based on the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) criteria, with some modifications. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

In total, 1303 patients were included in the program, of whom 291 (22.3%) started antiviral therapy within the initial 5 years of follow-up. Among patients on treatment, estimated 5-year hepatocellular carcinoma-free survival was 99.0% in patients without cirrhosis at baseline, compared to 88.8% in patients with compensated cirrhosis, and 54.2% in patients with decompensated cirrhosis (p < 0.001). The risk of death was significantly higher in patients with decompensated cirrhosis at baseline (adjusted hazard ratio 44.6, 95% confidence interval 6.1-328.1) and in patients older than 40 years (adjusted hazard ratio 3.7, 95% confidence interval 1.6-8.5). Liver stiffness declined significantly after treatment initiation; the median change from baseline after 1, 3, and 5 years of treatment was - 4.0 kPa, - 5.2 kPa, and - 5.6 kPa, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot program demonstrates the long-term benefits of CHB therapy in a resource-limited setting. The high mortality in patients with cirrhosis underscores the need for earlier detection of CHB and timely initiation of antiviral treatment in sub-Saharan Africa.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02344498) on January 26, 2015.

Lowering the threshold of alanine aminotransferase for enhanced identification of significant hepatic injury in chronic hepatitis B patients

BACKGROUND

The clinical and histological features of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who fall into the "grey zone (GZ)" and do not fit into conventional natural phases are unclear.

AIM

To explore the impact of varying the threshold of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in identifying significant liver injury among GZ patients.

METHODS

This retrospective analysis involved a cohort of 1617 adult patients diagnosed with CHB who underwent liver biopsy. The clinical phases of CHB patients were determined based on the European Association for the Study of the Liver 2017 Clinical Practice Guidelines. GZ CHB patients were classified into four groups: GZ-A (HBeAg positive, normal ALT levels, and HBV DNA ≤ 107 IU/mL), GZ-B (HBeAg positive, elevated ALT levels, and HBV DNA < 104 or > 107 IU/mL), GZ-C (HBeAg negative, normal ALT levels, and HBV DNA ≥ 2000 IU/mL), and GZ-D (HBeAg negative, elevated ALT levels, and HBV DNA ≤ 2000 IU/mL). Significant hepatic injury (SHI) was defined as the presence of notable liver inflammation (≥ G2) and/or significant fibrosis (≥ S2).

RESULTS

The results showed that 50.22% of patients were classified as GZ, and 63.7% of GZ patients developed SHI. The study also found that lowering the ALT treatment thresholds to the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases 2018 treatment criteria (35 U/L for men and 25 U/L for women) can more accurately identify patients with significant liver damage in the GZ phases. In total, the proportion of patients with ALT ≤ 40 U/L who required antiviral therapy was 64.86% [(221 + 294)/794]. When we lowered the ALT treatment threshold to the new criteria (30 U/L for men and 19 U/L for women), the same outcome was revealed, and the proportion of patients with ALT ≤ 40 U/L who required antiviral therapy was 75.44% [(401 + 198)/794]. Additionally, the proportion of SHI was 49.1% in patients under 30 years old and increased to 55.3% in patients over 30 years old (P = 0.136).

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest the importance of redefining the natural phases of CHB and using new ALT treatment thresholds for better diagnosis and management of CHB patients in the GZ phases.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in The Gambia, west Africa: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Chronic liver disease is a major cause of premature death in sub-Saharan Africa. Efficacy of antiviral therapy among patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related cirrhosis is not well established in Africa. We described the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in The Gambia and assessed the impact of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) on survival of HBV-infected patients with cirrhosis.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, we followed up adults who were consecutively diagnosed with cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma between 2012 and 2015 in The Gambia, west Africa. Patients with chronic HBV infection and cirrhosis, without hepatocellular carcinoma, were offered TDF. Primary outcome was overall survival. To determine the effect of TDF on survival, we performed a Cox proportional hazard regression model with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) based on propensity score.

FINDINGS

Of 529 patients enrolled in this study, 336 patients (252 with hepatocellular carcinoma and 84 with cirrhosis) were analysed. Patients were predominantly male (253 [75%] men and 83 [25%] women), with a median age of 42 years (IQR 33-55). 276 (84%) of 327 of patients with data were positive for HBV biomarkers, 31 (10%) of 311 were positive for hepatitis C virus antibodies, and 22 (10%) of 223 were positive for hepatitis D virus antibodies. 64% of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma had multifocal tumour, with a median size of 7·5 cm (IQR 5·4-10·8). 173 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 70 patients with cirrhosis were included in the survival analysis. Median survival was 1·5 months (95% CI 1·1-2·0) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 17·1 months (11·2-24·0) in patients with cirrhosis (log-rank p<0·0001). In patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, ascites (hazard ratio [HR] 1·78, 95% CI 1·21-2·60), partial or complete portal thrombosis (HR 2·61, 1·58-4·30), and platelet count (HR 1·80, 1·19-2·70) were independent predictive factors of mortality at baseline. In HBV-infected patients with cirrhosis, median turnaround time between cirrhosis diagnosis and TDF initiation was 4·9 months (IQR 3·2-7·3). In IPTW analysis, TDF treatment was associated with improved survival in patients with HBV-related cirrhosis (adjusted HR 0·14, 0·06-0·34; p<0·0001).

INTERPRETATION

These results highlight poor survival of patients with cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma as well as the effectiveness of TDF in reducing the premature mortality of patients with cirrhosis and HBV infection. Interventions for early diagnosis and treatment of cirrhosis as well as screening programmes for hepatocellular carcinoma are urgently required in Africa.

FUNDING

European Commission and Medical Research Council UK.

TRANSLATION

For the French translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Prognostic implication of liver fibrosis scores in patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy

Aims

Liver fibrosis was associated with adverse outcomes in various cardiovascular diseases. The current risk stratification of non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) still largely depends on the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). At present, the relationship between liver fibrosis and prognosis in patients with NIDCM remains blank.

Methods and results

A total of 433 NIDCM patients were analysed in this study. Liver fibrosis was assessed by three liver fibrosis scores (LFS), including aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio (AST/ALT ratio), and gamma-glutamyltransferase to platelet ratio (GPR). The primary endpoint was defined as all-cause mortality or heart transplantation (ACM/HTx). During a median follow-up period of 1.7 years, 140 ACM/HTx events occurred. Positive associations were observed between LFS and ACM/HTx. Patients with elevated APRI, AST/ALT ratio, and GPR scores exhibited increased ACM/HTx (all P < 0.05). Intermediate-to-high APRI [hazard ratio (HR) 1.66, 95%CI 1.06-2.61, P = 0.027], AST/ALT ratio (HR 1.59, 95%CI 1.07-2.36, P = 0.021), and GPR (HR 1.64, 95%CI 1.11-2.42, P = 0.013) were independently associated with increased risk of ACM/HTx, even after adjusting for LVEF and other covariates. The positive relationship remains consistent across different subgroups, including those with diabetes and obesity.

Conclusions

Elevated liver fibrosis scores were associated with a worse outcome beyond LVEF in patients with NIDCM, which may provide additional prognostic value in the management of NIDCM.

A decision tree model to predict liver cirrhosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients: a retrospective study

Background

The severity of liver cirrhosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients is essential for determining the scope of surgical resection. It also affects the long-term efficacy of systemic anti-tumor therapy and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Non-invasive tools, including aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis-4 (FIB-4), and γ-glutamyl transferase to platelet ratio (GPR), are less accurate in predicting cirrhosis in HCC patients. We aimed to build a novel decision tree model to improve diagnostic accuracy of liver cirrhosis.

Patients and Methods

The Mann-Whitney U test, χ2 test, and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to identify independent cirrhosis predictors. A decision tree model was developed using machine learning algorithms in a training cohort of 141 HCC patients. Internal validation was conducted in 99 HCC patients. The diagnostic accuracy and calibration of the established model were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and calibration curves, respectively.

Results

Sex and platelet count were identified as independent cirrhosis predictors. A decision tree model integrating imaging-reported cirrhosis, APRI, FIB-4, and GPR was established. The novel model had an excellent diagnostic performance in the training and validation cohorts, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.853 and 0.817, respectively. Calibration curves and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed good calibration of the novel model. The decision curve analysis (DCA) indicated that the decision tree model could provide a larger net benefit to predict liver cirrhosis.

Conclusion

Our developed decision tree model could successfully predict liver cirrhosis in HCC patients, which may be helpful in clinical decision-making.

Development and Validation of a Nomogram to Predict Significant Liver Inflammation in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

Background

Noninvasive diagnosis of liver inflammation is important for patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study aimed to develop a nomogram to predict significant liver inflammation for CHB patients.

Methods

CHB patients who underwent liver biopsy were retrospectively collected and randomly divided into a development set and a validation set. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and logistic regression analysis were used to select independent predictors of significant liver inflammation, and a nomogram was developed. The performance of nomogram was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves and decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

A total of 1019 CHB patients with a median age of 39.0 years were included. Alanine aminotransaminase (ALT, P = 0.018), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (P = 0.013), prothrombin time (P < 0.001), and HBV DNA level (P = 0.030) were identified as independent predictors of significant liver inflammation in the development set. A model namely AGPD-nomogram was developed based on the above parameters. The area under the ROC curve in predicting significant inflammation was 0.765 (95% CI: 0.727-0.803) and 0.766 (95% CI: 0.711-0.821) in the development and validation sets, which were significantly higher than other indexes. The AGPD-nomogram had a high predictive value in patients with normal ALT. Moreover, the nomogram was proven to be clinically useful by DCA.

Conclusion

A visualized AGPD-nomogram which incorporated routine clinical parameters was proposed to facilitate the prediction of significant liver inflammation in CHB patients. This nomogram had high accuracy in the identification of significant liver inflammation and would be a useful tool for the better management of CHB patients, especially for those with normal ALT.

Hematological Indices Are Useful in Predicting Complications of Liver Cirrhosis

BACKGROUND

Liver cirrhosis is the final stage of chronic liver disease. We aimed to evaluate non-invasive scores as predictors of complications and outcome in cirrhotic patients.

METHODS

A total of 150 cirrhotic patients were included. Models for end-stage liver disease (MELD), albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MoLR), and neutrophil-lymphocyte-albumin ratio (NLA) scores were tested in relation to the development of complications and mortality using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

RESULTS

The ROC curve analysis showed (area under the curve) AUC values of NLR, NLA, ALBI, and MELD of 0.711, 0.730, 0.627, and 0.684, respectively, for short-term mortality. MELD, ALBI, and NLA scores showed a statistically significant correlation with hepatic encephalopathy (p = 0.000 vs. 0.014 vs. 0.040, respectively), and the MELD cut-off value of 16 had a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 52% (AUC: 0.671, 95% CI (0.577-0.765)). For the assessment of the presence of ascites, the AUC values for NLA and MoLR were 0.583 and 0.658, respectively, with cut-offs of 11.38 and 0.44.

CONCLUSIONS

MELD, ALBI, and NLA are reliable predictors of hepatic encephalopathy. NLA and MoLR showed a significant correlation with the presence of ascites, and MELD, ALBI, NLR, and NLA have prognostic value to predict 30-day mortality in cirrhotic patients.

Aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index can predict the outcome in patients with stable decompensated cirrhosis

Background

Platelet (PLT)-based biomarkers have been studied for the evaluation of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. There are no data regarding their prognostic significance in decompensated cirrhosis.

Methods

We studied 525 stable decompensated patients from the 2 Greek transplant centers. We measured PLT values, mean PLT volume (MPV), red cell distribution width, γ-globulins, and calculated PLT-based scores: aspartate aminotransferase-to-PLT ratio index (APRI), γ-globulin-to-PLT model, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase-to-PLT ratio (GPR).

Results

We followed our cohort for 12 (range: 1-84) months. Baseline mean model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) and Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) scores were 15±6 and 8±2, respectively. On univariate analysis, MPV/PLT (hazard ratio [HR] 3.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1-14.5; P=0.05), APRI (HR 1.03, 95%CI 1.006-1.06; P=0.016), GPR (HR 1.096, 95%CI 1.016-1.182; P=0.017) were significantly associated with our patients' outcome (survival vs. death or liver transplantation). In a multivariate model without MELD and CTP scores, APRI was the only significant factor associated with the outcome (HR 1.054, 95%CI 1.009-1.101; P=0.018). APRI had good discriminative ability for the outcome (area under the curve 0.723 vs. 0.675 and 0.656 for MELD and CTP scores, respectively). The optimal cutoff point was 1.3 (sensitivity 71%, specificity 65%). There were 200 patients (38%) with APRI scores <1.3 who had better survival than patients with APRI >1.3 (log rank 22.4, P<0.001).

Conclusions

This study found a prognostic role for APRI in stable decompensated cirrhosis, regardless of the underlying etiology of chronic liver disease. This suggests new perspectives for PLT-based noninvasive scores to discriminate patients' outcomes.

The Accuracy of Ultrasound Controlled Attenuation Parameter in Diagnosing Hepatic Fat Content

Purpose

The Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP score) is based on ultrasonic properties of retropropagated radiofrequency signals acquired by Fibroscan^TM (Echosens, Paris, France). Since ultrasound propagation is influenced by the presence of fat, CAP score was developed to quantify steatosis. The aim of this study was to delineate the accuracy of CAP in diagnosing hepatic steatosis, compared to the gold standard of liver biopsy.

Patients and Methods

A total of 150 patients underwent same-day liver biopsy and measurement of hepatic steatosis with Fibroscan. Only examinations with 10 satisfactory measurements, and an inter-quartile range of less than 30% of the median liver stiffness values were included for data analysis. Histological staging was then correlated with median values and Spearman correlation calculated. P values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results

For diagnosis of hepatic steatosis (HS), CAP could predict the steatosis S2 with AUROC 0.815 (95% CI 0.741-0.889), sensitivity (0.81) and specificity (0.73) when the optimal cut-off value was set at 288 dB/m. CAP detected histological grade S3 with AUROC 0.735 (95% CI 0.618-0.851), sensitivity (0.71) and specificity (0.74), with a cut-off value of 330 dB/m. The AUROC for steatosis grade S1 was 0.741 (95% CI 0.650-0.824), with a cut-off value of 263 dB/m with sensitivity 0.75 and specificity 0.70. Univariate analysis showed a correlation between CAP and diabetes (p 0.048).

Conclusion

The performance of CAP to diagnose steatosis severity decreases as steatosis progresses. CAP is associated with diabetes but not other clinical factors and parameters of the metabolic syndrome.

Prognostic Significance of Hemoglobin, Albumin, Lymphocyte and Platelet (HALP) Score in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Purpose

HALP score consisting of hemoglobin content, albumin content, lymphocyte count, and platelet count can comprehensively evaluate the inflammatory response and nutritional status. Many researchers have indicated that the HALP score is an effective predictor of the overall prognosis of various tumors. However, there is no relevant research to suggest whether the HALP score can predict the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 273 HCC patients who underwent surgical resection. Hemoglobin content, albumin content, lymphocyte count, and platelet count in peripheral blood were measured for each patient. The relationship between the HALP score and overall survival (OS) was investigated.

Results

With a mean of 56.69 ± 1.25 months follow-up, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS was 98.9%, 76.9%, and 55.3% for all patients, respectively. HALP scores (HR=1.708, 95% CI=1.192-2.448, P=0.004) were significant independent risk factors of OS. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 99.3%, 84.3%, and 63.4% for patients with high HALP scores; and 98.6%, 69.8%, and 47.5% for patients with low HALP scores, respectively (P=0.018). In TNM I-II stage patients, compared with high HALP scores, low HALP scores have worse OS (P=0.039). In AFP positive patients, compared with high HALP scores, low HALP scores have worse OS (P=0.042).

Conclusion

Our research showed the preoperative HALP score is an independent predictive factor of overall prognosis, and a low HALP score indicates a worse prognosis in HCC patients who underwent surgical resection.

Inflammation-related nomogram for predicting survival of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma received conversion therapy

BACKGROUND

The efficacy of conversion therapy for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common clinical concern.

AIM

To analyse the prognostic factors of overall survival (OS) in patients with unresectable HCC who received conversion therapy.

METHODS

One hundred and fifty patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled and divided into a training cohort (n = 120) and a validation cohort (n = 30). Using the independent risk factors in the training cohort, a nomogram model was constructed to predict OS for patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization following hepatic resection. The nomogram was internally validated with the bootstrapping method. The predictive performance of nomogram was assessed by Harrell’s concordance index (C-index), calibration plot and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves and compared with six other conventional HCC staging systems.

RESULTS

Multivariate Cox analysis identified that albumin, blood urea nitrogen, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio, platelet to lymphocyte ratio, macrovascular invasion and tumour number were the six independent prognostic factors correlated with OS in nomogram model. The C-index in the training cohort and validation cohort were 0.752 and 0.807 for predicting OS, which were higher than those of the six conventional HCC staging systems (0.563 to 0.715 for the training cohort and 0.458 to 0.571 for the validation cohort). The calibration plots showed good consistency between the nomogram prediction of OS and the actual observations of OS. Decision curve analyses indicated satisfactory clinical utility. With a total nomogram score of 196, patients were accurately classified into low-risk and high-risk groups. Furthermore, we have deployed the model into online calculators that can be accessed for free at https://ctmodelforunresectablehcc.shinyapps.io/DynNomapp/.

CONCLUSION

The nomogram achieved optimal individualized prognostication of OS in HCC patients who received conversion therapy, which could be a useful clinical tool to help guide postoperative personalized interventions and prognosis judgement.

Risk factors for more rapid progression of severe liver fibrosis in children with cystic fibrosis-related liver disease: A multi-center study validated by liver biopsy

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Early identification of risk factors for the development of severe fibrosis in children with cystic fibrosis-related liver disease (CFLD) is crucial as promising therapies emerge.

METHODS

This multi-center cohort study of children with a priori defined CFLD from 1999 to 2016, was designed to evaluate the clinical utility of CF-specific characteristics and liver biomarkers assessed years prior to liver biopsy-proven CFLD to predict risk of developing severe fibrosis (F3-4) over time. Fibrosis was staged by Metavir classification.

RESULTS

The overall study cohort of 42 patients (F0-2 (n = 22) and F3-4 (n = 20)) was 57% male (n = 24) with median age of 7.6 years at baseline visit versus 10.3 years at biopsy. Median FEV₁ % predicted was lower in F3-4 participants at baseline versus F0-2 (59% vs. 85%; p = .002), while baseline FIB-4, APRI and GGT were higher in F3-4. Median splits for FIB-4 (≥.13), APRI (≥.36), GPR (≥.09), GGT (≥25.5), and FEV₁ % (<64%) were associated with more rapid progression to F3-4 (p < .01 for all). Using a combination of change/year in FIB-4, APRI, and GPR to predict F3-4, the AUROC was .81 (95% CI, .66, .96; p < .0001). For up to 5.8 years prior, thresholds for GPR were met 6.5-fold more rapidly, and those for APRI and FIB-4 were met 2.5-fold more rapidly, in those who progressed to F3-4 than those that did not.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests mild-moderate pulmonary dysfunction and higher liver biomarker indices at baseline may be associated with faster progression of CFLD.

Identification of pseudo-immune tolerance for chronic hepatitis B patients: Development and validation of a non-invasive prediction model

Background and aims

Patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in the immune tolerant (IT) phase were previously thought to have no or slight inflammation or fibrosis in the liver. In fact, some CHB patients with normal ALT levels still experience liver fibrosis. This study aimed to develop and validate a non-invasive model for identifying pseudo-immune tolerance (pseudo-IT) of CHB by predicting significant liver fibrosis.

Methods

This multi-center study enrolled a total of 445 IT-phase patients who had undergone liver biopsy for the training cohort (n = 289) and validation cohort (n = 156) during different time periods. A risk model (IT-3) for predicting significant liver fibrosis (Ishak score ≥ 3) was developed using high-risk factors which were identified using multivariate stepwise logistic regression. Next, an online dynamic nomogram was created for the clinical usage. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, net reclassification improvement and integrated discrimination improvement were used to assess the discrimination of the IT-3 model. Calibration curves were used to evaluate the models’ calibration. The clinical practicability of the model was evaluated using decision curve analysis and clinical impact curves.

Results

8.8% (39 of 445) patients presented with significant liver fibrosis in this study. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg), and platelet (PLT) were included in the prediction model (IT-3). The IT-3 model showed good calibration and discrimination both in the training and validation cohorts (AUC = 0.888 and 0.833, respectively). The continuous NRI and IDI showed that the IT-3 model had better predictive accuracy than GPR, APRI, and FIB-4 (p &lt; 0.001). Decision curve analysis and clinical impact curves were used to demonstrate the clinical usefulness. At a cut-off value of 106 points, the sensitivity and specificity were 91.7 and 70.2%, respectively.

Conclusion

The IT-3 model proved an accurate non-invasive method in identifying pseudo-IT of CHB, which can help to formulate more appropriate treatment strategies.

Regression in hepatic fibrosis in elderly Chinese patients with hepatitis C receiving direct-acting antiviral treatment

BACKGROUND

Patients infected with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) are recommended to receive treatment with direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs), which have been certified to obtain a high sustained virological response (SVR). However, little is known about the benefits of successful anti-viral treatment to elderly patients with hepatic fibrosis. In this study, we aimed to assess degree of fibrosis in elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treated with DAAs, and to evaluate the correlations between identified factors associated with these changes.

METHODS

This study retrospectively enrolled elderly patients with CHC who received DAAs in Tianjin Second People's Hospital from April 2018 to April 2021. The degree of liver fibrosis was assessed using serum biomarkers and transient elastography (TE) expressed as the liver stiffness (LSM), while the hepatic steatosis was evaluated by controlled attenuated parameter (CAP). Changes in factors related to hepatic fibrosis were examined following treatment with DAAs, and associated prognostic factors were further evaluated.

RESULTS

We included 347 CHC patients in our analysis, where 127 of these were elderly patients. For the elderly group, the median LSM was 11.6 (7.9-19.9) kPa, and this value was significantly reduced to 9.7 (6.2-16.6) kPa following DAA treatment. Similarly, GPR, FIB-4 and APRI indices were significantly reduced from 0.445 (0.275-1.022), 3.072 (2.047-5.129) and 0.833 (0.430-1.540) to 0.231 (0.155-0.412), 2.100 (1.540-3.034) and 0.336 (0.235-0.528), respectively. While in younger patients, the median LSM reduced from 8.8 (6.1-16.8) kPa to 7.2 (5.3-12.4) kPa, and the trends of GPR, FIB-4 and APRI were also consistent. The CAP in younger patients increased with statistical significance, but we did not observe any significant change in CAP for the elderly group. Based on multivariate analysis, age, LSM, and CAP before baseline were identified as determinants for LSM improvement in the elderly.

CONCLUSION

In this study, we found that elderly CHC patients treated with DAA had significantly lower LSM, GPR, FIB-4, and APRI values. DAA treatment did not significantly change CAP. Furthermore, we observed correlations between three noninvasive serological evaluation markers and LSM. Finally, age, LSM, and CAP were identified as independent predictors of fibrosis regression in elderly patients with CHC.

Spleen to non-cancerous liver volume ratio predicts liver cirrhosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

PURPOSE

To investigate the performance of spleen to non-cancerous liver volume ratio (STnLR) for diagnosing liver cirrhosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during preoperative evaluation.

METHODS

Patients were randomly divided into experiment group and validation group. Patients were grouped into cirrhosis group and non-cirrhosis group according to Scheuer staging. Patients' routine image data were reconstructed using a three-dimensional system. STnLR, spleen to liver volume ratio (STLR), spleen volume, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), and fibrosis index based on the four factors (FIB-4) were calculated. Correlations between indices and cirrhosis were measured by Spearman correlation analysis. Diagnostic performance was assessed and compared using receiver operating characteristic analysis. Accuracies of the models were analyzed in validation group.

RESULTS

No statistical difference in demographic and clinical characteristics was observed between groups. In experiment group, STnLR had the strongest correlation (r = 0.5399, P < 0.0001), and STLR, spleen volume, APRI, and FIB-4 had moderate correlations (r = 0.4583, 0.4123, 0.3648, and 0.3405, P < 0.0001, < 0.0001, < 0.0001, and = 0.0002) with liver cirrhosis stage. AUROC of STnLR (0.8326) was not statistically higher than that for spleen volume (0.7542, P = 0.09832) and STLR (0.8046, P = 0.3034), but was significantly higher than that for APRI (0.7099, P = 0.02046) and FIB-4 (0.7294, P = 0.03987). In validation group, STnLR showed the highest AUROC value (0.8538) and highest Youden index (0.5869) among all models.

CONCLUSION

STnLR is an accurate and stable volumetric model to diagnose hepatic cirrhosis in the HCC population, which is superior to APRI and FIB-4.

The association of serum immunoglobulin and complement levels and liver fibrosis and inflammation stage in patients with chronic hepatitis B

The utility of measurement of serum immunoglobulin and complement in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the association of serum immunoglobulin and complement levels and liver fibrosis and inflammation stage in CHB patients. A total of 687 patients with CHB who underwent liver biopsy were enrolled. Serum immunoglobulin and complement were measured before liver biopsy, and liver pathological results were recorded. Associations of serum immunoglobulin and complement levels and liver fibrosis and inflammation stage were analysed. C3, C4, IgG and IgG1 had statistically significant differences among different fibrosis and different inflammation groups. Both C3 and C4 negatively correlated with fibrosis and inflammation stage, but IgG and IgG1 showed opposite results. C3, C4, IgG and IgG1 had statistical significance to predict ≥S2, ≥S3 and S4, and also had statistical significance to predict ≥G2, ≥G3 and G4. The area under curve (AUC) of the combination of C3, C4 and IgG (C3 + C4 + IgG) for predicting ≥S2, ≥S3 and S4 was 0.640 (95% CI: 0.603, 0.676), 0.674 (95% CI: 0.638, 0.709) and 0.744 (95% CI: 0.710, 0.776), respectively. The AUC of C3 + C4 + IgG for predicting ≥G2, ≥G3 and G4 was 0.723 (95% CI: 0.688, 0.756), 0.674 (95% CI: 0.638, 0.709) and 0.771 (95% CI: 0.738, 0.802), respectively. C3, C4, IgG and IgG1 are correlated with liver fibrosis and inflammation stage in CHB patients. C3, C4, IgG and IgG1 have diagnostic value for liver fibrosis and inflammation. C3 + C4 + IgG may improve diagnostic accuracy.

Systematic review and individual-patient-data meta-analysis of non-invasive fibrosis markers for chronic hepatitis B in Africa

In sub-Saharan Africa, simple biomarkers of liver fibrosis are needed to scale-up hepatitis B treatment. We conducted an individual participant data meta-analysis of 3,548 chronic hepatitis B patients living in eight sub-Saharan African countries to assess the World Health Organization-recommended aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index and two other fibrosis biomarkers using a Bayesian bivariate model. Transient elastography was used as a reference test with liver stiffness measurement thresholds at 7.9 and 12.2kPa indicating significant fibrosis and cirrhosis, respectively. At the World Health Organization-recommended cirrhosis threshold (>2.0), aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index had sensitivity (95% credible interval) of only 16.5% (12.5-20.5). We identified an optimised aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index rule-in threshold (>0.65) for liver stiffness measurement >12.2kPa with sensitivity and specificity of 56.2% (50.5-62.2) and 90.0% (89.0-91.0), and an optimised rule-out threshold (<0.36) with sensitivity and specificity of 80.6% (76.1-85.1) and 64.3% (62.8-65.8). Here we show that the World Health Organization-recommended aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index threshold is inappropriately high in sub-Saharan Africa; improved rule-in and rule-out thresholds can optimise treatment recommendations in this setting.

Serum Gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidase-to-Platelet Ratio as a Noninvasive Marker of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis B

Background The gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)-to-platelet ratio (GPR) is identified as a new model for the assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We aimed to determine the diagnostic performance of GPR for the prediction of liver fibrosis in patients with CHB. Methods In an observational cohort study, patients with CHB were enrolled. The diagnostic performance of GPR was compared with transient elastography (TE), aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) scores for the prediction of liver fibrosis using liver histology as a gold standard. Results Forty-eight patients with CHB with a mean age of 33.42 ± 15.72 years were enrolled. Liver histology showed meta-analysis of histological data in viral hepatitis (METAVIR) stage F0, F1, F2, F3, and F4 fibrosis in 11, 12, 11, seven, and seven patients, respectively. The Spearman correlation of METAVIR fibrosis stage with APRI, FIB-4, GPR, and TE were 0.354, 0.402, 0.551, and 0.726, respectively (P value < 0.05). TE had the highest sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) (80%, 83%, 83%, and 79%, respectively), followed by GPR (76%, 65%, 70%, and 71%, respectively) for predicting significant fibrosis (≥F2). However, TE had comparable sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV with GPR (86%, 82%, 42%, and 93%, and 86%, 71%, 42%, and 92%, respectively) for predicting extensive fibrosis (≥F3). Conclusion The performance of GPR is comparable to TE in predicting significant and extensive liver fibrosis. GPR may be an acceptable, low-cost alternative for predicting compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) (F3-F4) in CHB patients.

An overview: Management of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has constituted a significant health burden worldwide, and patients with advanced HCC, which is stage C as defined by the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system, have a poor overall survival of 6-8 months. Studies have indicated the significant survival benefit of treatment based on sorafenib, lenvatinib, or atezolizumab-bevacizumab with reliable safety. In addition, the combination of two or more molecularly targeted therapies (first- plus second-line) has become a hot topic recently and is now being extensively investigated in patients with advanced HCC. In addition, a few biomarkers have been investigated and found to predict drug susceptibility and prognosis, which provides an opportunity to evaluate the clinical benefits of current therapies. In addition, many therapies other than tyrosine kinase inhibitors that might have additional survival benefits when combined with other therapeutic modalities, including immunotherapy, transarterial chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation, hepatectomy, and chemotherapy, have also been examined. This review provides an overview on the current understanding of disease management and summarizes current challenges with and future perspectives on advanced HCC.

New indexes derived from routine blood tests and their clinical application in hepatocellular carcinoma

Considerable efforts have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the prognosis of patients with HCC remains poor. The development of officious and easy-to-use indicators that are applicable to all levels of hospitals for the diagnosis, prognosis and risk prediction of HCC may play an important role in improving the current undesirable situation. The occurrence of HCC can cause a series of local and systemic changes, involving liver function, inflammation, immunity, and nutrition, which can be reflected in routine clinical indicators, especially laboratory metrics. A comprehensive analysis of these routine indicators is capable of providing important information for the clinical management of HCC. Routine clinical indicators are daily medical data that are readily available, easily repeatable, and highly acceptable, which has attracted clinicians to derive a number of comprehensive indexes from routine clinical indicators by means of four arithmetic operations, scoring system, and mathematical modeling. These indexes integrate several clinical indicators into a new single indicator that performs better than any of original individual indicators in the risk prediction, clinical diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of HCC and is easy to use. Herein, we reviewed recent indexes derived from routine clinical indicators for the diagnosis, prognosis and risk prediction of HCC.

The Usefulness of Combining Noninvasive Methods for Early Identification and Potential Prevention of Cystic Fibrosis-Associated Liver Disease

Cystic fibrosis-associated liver disease is the third leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Liver damage in the course of CF ranges from biochemical abnormalities to full-blown cirrhosis and may involve complicated processes like inflammation, fibrogenesis, remodeling, apoptosis, and cholestasis. Despite robust research in the field of CF, its complex pathogenesis is not fully understood. Because of the unknown pathogenesis, it is difficult to develop a highly sensitive and specific test or technology that is standardized, acceptable, and available at most pediatric institutions. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) recommends annual blood tests to screen for liver pathology, which often fails to identify early-onset liver disease. In this review article, we present the use of different liver indices and imaging modalities that can help identify liver disease at the onset and may help in its prevention. Although the disease is commonly diagnosed in the pediatric population, due to increased life expectancy, there is increasing evidence of liver disease in adults too. We believe that the tools we present in this review will help in the prevention of liver disease and thereby reduce the associated morbidity and mortality.