Diagnostic accuracy of transient elastography (FibroScan) versus the aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index in assessing liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B: the role in primary care setting

Assessing the Utility of the Aspartate Aminotransferase to Platelet Ratio Index (APRI) as a Noninvasive Indicator for Liver Cirrhosis

Background Of liver-related disorders, cirrhosis is currently the leading cause of death and has become a significant global public health concern. Aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), a newer prognostic modality, is a very effective noninvasive diagnostic for identifying advanced liver fibrosis. Methods A prospective observational study was conducted among individuals with liver disease, 100 cases and 100 controls for two years. All the sociodemographic details, clinical features of the patients, and clinical findings such as prothrombin time (PT), liver function tests, kidney function tests, and total blood count were recorded using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Results According to our survey results, 48% of the participants were between the ages of 40 and 60. Regarding aPTT (activated partial thromboplastin time) and liver function test characteristics (serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase(SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT)), we showed a substantial difference between the patients and controls. Regarding the APRI distribution, we also found a statistically significant variation between the research groups. When we compared the validity of APRI scores in diagnosing cirrhosis, we discovered that the ideal cutoff value of APRI was determined to be 3.99, with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 33%, 86%, 70%, and 56%, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for APRI in detecting cirrhosis was also 0.693. Conclusion Thus, our study results conclude that APRI is a crucial noninvasive prognostic tool that can be utilized to prognostize liver cirrhosis.

Enzymes as indispensable markers in disease diagnosis

Enzymes have been used for disease diagnosis for many decades; however, advancements in technology like ELISA and flow cytometry-based detection have significantly increased their use and have increased the sensitivity of detection. Technological advancements in recombinant enzyme production have increased enzymatic stability, and the use of colorimetric-based and florescence-based assays has led to their increased use as biomarkers for disease detection. Enzymes like acid phosphatase, cathepsin, lactate dehydrogenase, thymidine kinase and creatine kinase are indispensable markers for diagnosing cancer, cardiovascular diseases and others. This minireview summarizes various enzymes used in disease diagnosis, their metabolic role, market value and potential as disease markers across various metabolic and other disorders.

A prediction nomogram for hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The present study aimed to develop and validate a new nomogram for predicting the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients receiving antiviral therapy from real-world data.

METHODS

The nomogram was established based on a real-world retrospective study of 764 patients with HBV from October 2008 to July 2020. A predictive model for the incidence of HCC was developed by multivariable Cox regression, and a nomogram was constructed. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were assessed by the concordance index (C-index), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Risk group stratification was performed to assess the predictive capacity of the nomogram. The nomogram was compared to three current commonly used predictive models.

RESULTS

A total of 764 patients with HBV were recruited for this study. Age, family history of HCC, alcohol consumption, and Aspartate aminotransferase-to-Platelet Ratio Index (APRI) were all independent risk predictors of HCC in CHB patients. The constructed nomogram had good discrimination with a C-index of 0.811. The calibration curve and DCA also proved the reliability and accuracy of the nomogram. Three risk groups (low, moderate, and high) with significantly different prognoses were identified (p < 0.001). The model's performance was significantly better than that of other risk models.

CONCLUSIONS

The nomogram was superior in predicting HCC risk among CHB patients who received antiviral treatment. The model can be utilized in clinical practice to aid decision-making on the strategy of long-term HCC surveillance, especially for moderate- and high-risk patients.

Low anti-HBc levels are associated with lower risk of virological relapse after nucleos(t)ide analogue cessation in HBe antigen-negative patients

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Low anti-HBc serum levels at the time of therapy cessation were linked to a higher relapse risk in predominantly HBeAg-positive cohorts. We investigated the association of anti-HBc levels with relapse in HBeAg-negative patients.

METHODS

Serum levels of anti-HBc, HBsAg and HBcrAg were determined in 136 HBeAg-negative patients, participating in a vaccination trial (ABX-203, NCT02249988), before treatment cessation or vaccination. Importantly, vaccination showed no impact on relapse. The correlation between the biomarkers and their predictive value for relapse (HBV DNA >2000 IU/ml ± ALT >2xULN) was investigated.

RESULTS

After therapy cessation 50% (N = 68) of patients relapsed. Median anti-HBc prior to treatment stop was significantly higher among relapsers compared to off-treatment responders (520 IU/ml vs. 330 IU/mL, p = .0098). The optimal anti-HBc cut-off to predict relapse was 325 IU/ml according to the Youden-Index. About 35% of patients with anti-HBc level < 325 IU/ml versus 60% of those with values ≥325 IU/mL relapsed (p = .0103; sensitivity 50%, specificity 75%). Combining the optimal cut-offs of HBsAg (>3008 IU/mL) or HBcrAg (≥1790 U/ml) with anti-HBc increased the proportion of patients with relapse to 80% (p < .0001) and 74% (p = .0006), respectively.

CONCLUSION

In contrast to predominantly HBeAg-positive cohorts, in our cohort of HBeAg-negative patients lower anti-HBc levels are associated with a significantly lower relapse risk after nucleos(t)ide analogue cessation. The vast majority of included patients were either genotype B or C and the applicability to other genotypes has to be further evaluated. However, anti-HBc level as an indicator of the host response might be prospectively further explored for prediction models.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Elastography and Liver Disease: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Ultrasound-based transient elastography (TE) is a non-invasive alternative to liver biopsy for the staging of hepatic fibrosis due to various chronic liver diseases. This meta-analysis aims to assess the diagnostic accuracy of TE for detecting liver cirrhosis (F4) and severe fibrosis (F3) in patients with chronic liver diseases, in comparison to the gold standard liver biopsy.

METHODS

A systematic search was performed using PubMed search engine following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines from inception to May 2021. The meta-analysis studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of TE for severe fibrosis and cirrhosis were identified. We conducted a meta-meta-analysis to generate pooled estimates of the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratios (ORs) for F3 and F4 fibrosis stage.

RESULTS

We included five studies with a total of 124 sub-studies and 20,341 patients in our analysis. Three studies have reported the diagnostic accuracy of TE in detecting F3/severe fibrosis stage and found 81.9% pooled sensitivity (95% confidence interval (CI): 79.9-83.7%; P < 0.001) (I2 = 0%), 84.7% pooled specificity (95% CI: 81.3-87.6%) (I2 = 81%; P = 0.02). All five studies reported the diagnostic accuracy of TE in detecting F4/liver cirrhosis stage. We found 84.8% pooled sensitivity (95% CI: 81.4-87.7%) (I2 = 86.4%; P < 0.001), 87.5% pooled specificity (95% CI: 85.4-89.3%) (I2 = 90%; P < 0.001) and pooled diagnostic OR (41.8; 95% CI: 3.9 - 56.5) (I2 = 87%; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasound-based TE has excellent diagnostic accuracy for identifying cirrhosis and liver fibrosis stages 3. Future studies should focus on estimating the diagnostic accuracy of other fibrosis stages in chronic liver disease patients. This will eventually decrease the risk associated with invasive liver biopsy.

Comparison of two-dimensional shear wave elastography, magnetic resonance elastography, and three serum markers for diagnosing fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE), magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis index based on 4 factors (FIB-4), and King's score have been proposed for diagnosing fibrosis.

METHODS

Literature databases were searched until October 1st, 2020. The summary area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), the summary diagnostic odds ratios, and the summary sensitivities and specificities were used to assess the performance of these noninvasive methods for staging fibrosis.

RESULTS

Our final data contained 72 studies. The prevalence of significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis was 58.3%, 36.2%, and 20.5%, respectively, in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). For 2D-SWE and MRE, the summary AUROCs were 0.89 and 0.97, 0.95 and 0.97, and 0.94 and 0.97 for significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis, respectively. The summary AUROCs using APRI and FIB-4 for detecting significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis were 0.76 and 0.75, 0.74 and 0.77, and 0.77 and 0.82, respectively. The summary AUROCs of King's score for detecting significant fibrosis and cirrhosis were 0.77 and 0.83, respectively.

CONCLUSION

MRE and 2D-SWE may show the best diagnostic accuracy for predicting fibrosis in CHB. Among the three serum markers, King's score may be more useful for diagnosing fibrosis.

Assessment of native liver fibrosis using ultrasound elastography and serological fibrosis indices in children with biliary atresia after the Kasai procedure

BACKGROUND

Validated non-invasive examinations are necessary to monitor liver fibrosis in children with biliary atresia (BA) after the Kasai procedure.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE), transient elastography (TE), and the serologic biomarkers of aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score for evaluating native liver fibrosis in children with BA.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed same-day 2D-SWE and TE liver stiffness (LS) measurements of 63 patients with BA who underwent the Kasai procedure. The APRI and FIB-4 score were computed. Hepatic fibrosis was categorized into three clinical categories based on the ultrasound (US) hepatic morphology and clinical manifestations of liver cirrhosis: I, pre-cirrhotic liver state (n = 15); II, US and/or clinical signs of liver cirrhosis with compensated liver function (n = 27); and III, liver cirrhosis with decompensated liver function (n = 21). We compared area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) data among 2D-SWE, TE, APRI, and FIB-4 score. Combined evaluation of serologic fibrosis indices and US elastography was conducted and AUCs of combinations were analyzed.

RESULTS

2D-SWE, TE, APRI, and FIB-4 score showed good to excellent diagnostic accuracy for differentiating clinical categories (AUCs 0.779-0.955). AUC values were significantly increased after adding TE to FIB-4 score for detecting liver cirrhosis (P = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

2D-SWE, TE, APRI, and FIB-4 score are accurate non-invasive markers for monitoring native liver fibrosis in patients with BA. Combined use of serologic markers and US elastography could yield more accurate diagnoses of liver fibrosis than serologic markers alone.

INR-to-platelet ratio (INPR) as a novel noninvasive index for predicting liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B

Objective: We aimed to investigate whether a novel noninvasive index, i.e., the international normalized ratio-to-platelet ratio (INPR), was a variable in determining liver fibrosis stage in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods: A total of 543 treatment-naïve CHB patients were retrospectively enrolled. Liver histology was assessed according to the Metavir scoring scheme. All common demographic and clinical parameters were analyzed. Results: Based on routine clinical parameters (age, sex, HBeAg status, HBV DNA, hematological parameters, coagulation index, and liver biochemical indicators), a novel index, i.e., the INR-to-platelet ratio (INPR), was developed to magnify the unfavorable effects of liver fibrosis on INR and platelets. The AUCs of INPR for predicting significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis were 0.74, 0.76 and 0.86, respectively. Compared with APRI, FIB-4, and GPR, the INPR had comparable predictive efficacy for significant fibrosis and better predictive performance for advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. Conclusion: INPR could be an accurate, easily calculated and inexpensive index to assess liver fibrosis in patients with CHB. Further studies are needed to verify this indicator and compare it with other noninvasive methods for predicting liver fibrosis in CHB patients.

Review of Serum Biomarkers and Models Derived from Them in HBV-Related Liver Diseases

A series of predictive scoring systems is available for stratifying the severity of conditions and assessing the prognosis in patients with HBV-related liver diseases. We show nine of the most popular serum biomarkers and their models (i.e., serum cystatin C, homocysteine, C-reactive protein, C-reactive protein to albumin ratio, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index, fibrosis index based on four factors, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio, albumin-bilirubin score, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase to albumin ratio) that have gained great interest from clinicians. Compared with traditional scoring systems, these serum biomarkers and their models are easily acquired, simple, and relatively inexpensive. In the present review, we summarize the latest studies focused on these serum biomarkers and their models as diagnostic and prognostic indexes in HBV-related liver diseases.

A Novel Prediction Model for Significant Liver Fibrosis in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

Background

Preventing liver fibrosis from progressing to cirrhosis and even liver cancer is a key step in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study is aimed at constructing and validating a new nomogram for predicting significant liver fibrosis (S ≥ 2) in CHB patients.

Methods

The nomogram was based on a retrospective study of 252 CHB patients. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were evaluated by the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), decision curves, and calibration curve compared with the fibrosis 4 score (FIB-4) and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI). The results were validated using bootstrap resampling and an external set of 168 CHB patients.

Results

A total of 420 CHB patients were enrolled based on liver biopsy results. Independent factors predicting significant liver fibrosis were laminin (LN), procollagen type III N-terminal peptide (PIIINP), and blood platelet count (PLT) in a multivariate analysis, and these factors were selected to construct the nomogram. The calibration curve for the probability of significant liver fibrosis showed optimal agreement between the prediction from the nomogram and actual observation. The prediction from the nomogram was more consistent with the results of liver biopsy than FIB-4 and APRI. The AUROC of the nomogram was higher than that of FIB-4 and APRI for predicting significant liver fibrosis. These results were confirmed in the validation set. Furthermore, the decision curve analysis suggested that the most net benefits were provided by the nomogram.

Conclusions

We found the proposed nomogram resulted in a more accurate prediction of significant liver fibrosis in CHB patients and could provide the most net benefits. We recommend this noninvasive assessment for patients with liver fibrosis to avoid the risk of liver biopsy and earlier intervention to prevent the development of cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Performance of common imaging techniques vs serum biomarkers in assessing fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Noninvasive biomarkers have been developed to predict hepatitis B virus (HBV) related fibrosis owing to the significant limitations of liver biopsy. Both serum biomarkers and imaging techniques have shown promising results and may improve the evaluation of liver fibrosis. However, most of the previous studies focused on the diagnostic effects of various imaging techniques on fibrosis in all chronic liver diseases.

AIM

To compare the performance of common imaging methods and serum biomarkers for prediction of significant fibrosis caused only by HBV infection.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted on the records available in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library electronic databases until December 2018. We systematically assessed the effectiveness of two serum biomarkers and three imagine techniques in predicting significant fibrosis solely caused by HBV infection. The serum biomarkers included aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and fibrosis index based on the 4 factors (FIB-4). The three imaging techniques included acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI), FibroScan, and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). Three parameters, the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUSROC), the summary diagnostic odds ratio, and the summary sensitivity and specificity, were used to examine the accuracy of all tests for liver fibrosis.

RESULTS

Out of 2831 articles evaluated for eligibility, 204 satisfied the predetermined inclusion criteria for this current meta-analysis. Eventually, our final data contained 81 studies. The AUSROCs of serum biomarkers of APRI and FIB-4 were both 0.75. For imaging techniques (ARFI, FibroScan, and MRE), the areas were 0.89, 0.83, and 0.97, respectively. The heterogeneities of ARFI and FibroScan were statistically significant (I² > 50%). The publication bias was not observed in any of the serum biomarkers or imaging methods.

CONCLUSION

These five methods have attained an acceptable level of diagnostic accuracy. Imaging techniques, MRE in particular, demonstrate significant advantages in accurately predicting HBV-related significant fibrosis, while serum biomarkers are admissible methods.

Transient Elastography for Significant Liver Fibrosis and Cirrhosis in Chronic Hepatitis B: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

The hepatitis B virus infection is a global health issue and the stage of liver fibrosis affects the prognosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We performed the meta-analysis describing diagnostic accuracy of transient elastography (TE) for predicting CHB-related fibrosis.

METHODS

We performed an adequate literature search to identify studies that assessed the diagnostic accuracy of TE in CHB patients using biopsy as reference standard. Hierarchical summary receiver-operating curves model and the bivariate mixed-effects binary regression model were applied to generate summary receiver-operating characteristic curves and pooled estimates of sensitivity and specificity.

RESULTS

The area under the summary receiver-operating curve for significant fibrosis and cirrhosis was 0.86 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.83-0.89) and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.90-0.94), respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio of TE for significant fibrosis were 0.78 (95% CI: 0.73-0.81, p < 0.01; I² = 85.59%), 0.81 (95% CI: 0.77-0.84, p < 0.01; I² = 88.20%), and 14.44 (95% CI: 10.80-19.31, p < 0.01; I² = 100%) and for cirrhosis were 0.84 (95% CI: 0.80-0.88, p < 0.01; I² = 76.67%), 0.87 (95% CI: 0.84-0.90, p < 0.01; I² = 90.89%), and 36.63 (95% CI: 25.38-52.87, p < 0.01; I² = 100%), respectively. The optimal cut-off values of TE were 7.25 kPa for diagnosing significant fibrosis and 12.4 kPa for diagnosing cirrhosis, respectively.

CONCLUSION

TE is of great value in the detection of patients with CHB-related cirrhosis but has a suboptimal accuracy in the detection of significant fibrosis.

Development and validation of a model for staging hepatic fibrosis for chronic hepatitis B patients with E antigen-positive

Background

Interest is growing in the use of non-invasive techniques for complementing liver biopsy for liver fibrosis assessment. We aimed to prospectively evaluate liver histology in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with e-antigen positivity, and develop and validate a novel scoring system—e-antigen-positive CHB liver fibrosis (EPLF) score—for noninvasively predicting the fibrosis stages.

Methods

We identified the baseline variables associated with fibrosis stage (MATAVIR score, F0–F4) in 212 CHB patients with e-antigen positivity. These significant variables were used to develop the EPLF scoring system. The EPLF score equation was developed based on the prediction of fibrosis stages via multivariate ordered logistic regression analysis. The diagnostic powers of the EPLF score and several non-invasive markers were assessed through an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analyses. This EPLF score model was validated in another set of 208 similar patients.

Results

The natural logarithms of serum albumin, HBeAg, and HBsAg levels were selected as significant independent variables for the EPLF score equation. The EPLF score had good diagnostic power (AUROC, 0.72–0.90, p<0.001) and good diagnostic accuracy (72–85%), with a high positive predictive value (80.8–92.8%) for each fibrosis stage in the test group. Similar results were observed in the validation group (AUROC, 0.73–0.89, p<0.001). The EPLF score exhibited a strong correlation with fibrosis stage (r=0.67, p<0.001), and was the preferable non-invasive marker for staging liver fibrosis.

Conclusion

In e-antigen-positive patients with CHB, the EPLF score could serve as a potential non-invasive marker of liver fibrosis stage.

Development of algorithms based on serum markers and transient elastography for detecting significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B patients: Significant reduction in liver biopsy

AIM

To develop algorithms for detecting significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with the aim of reducing unwarranted liver biopsy.

METHODS

For 307 CHB patients, the aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), the fibrosis index based on four factors (FIB-4), and the result of transient elastography with FibroScan (FS) were obtained when a liver biopsy was carried out. All patients were classified based on APRI or FIB-4 score and further assessed by FS results. Patients who remained unclassified after two steps of evaluation were considered to need liver biopsy.

RESULTS

Algorithm implementation found that APRI + FS significantly lowered the requirement for liver biopsy for the detection of significant fibrosis compared to either individual APRI or FS screening (65.1% vs 75.9% or 78.5%, P = 0.003 or <0.001, respectively). The combination of FIB-4 + FS significantly reduced the need for liver biopsy compared to single FIB-4 or FS (58.3% vs 67.4% or 78.5%, P = 0.019 or <0.001, respectively). The FIB-4 + FS algorithm also reduced the need for liver biopsy for detection of significant fibrosis in patients ≥50 years old compared to APRI + FS (22.6% vs 56.5%, P < 0.001), with a relatively lower accuracy (83.9% vs 98.4%, P = 0.004). Only 3.6% or 1.3% of patients needed liver biopsy for diagnosis of cirrhosis after screening with APRI + FS or FIB-4 + FS, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The APRI + FS and FIB-4 + FS algorithms could significantly reduce the need for liver biopsy with high accuracy, sensitivity, and positive predictive value for diagnosis of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in CHB patients.

Screening and diagnosis of HBV in low-income and middle-income countries

HBV testing and diagnosis of HBV-related liver disease in low-income and middle-income countries differs substantially from that in developed countries in terms of access to resources and expensive technologies requiring highly specialized staff. For identification and classification of HBV infection, genomic amplification methods to detect and quantify HBV DNA are often nonexistent or available only in central laboratories of major cities. When samples from peripheral locations do arrive, delays in receiving results generate loss to follow-up. Testing is often limited to measurement of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), alanine aminotransferase levels, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) to determine indications for antiviral therapy (AVT). Utilization of AVT is limited by cost and availability, particularly when patients are not covered by health insurance. The natural history of HBV infection is influenced by genotypes B and C in East Asia, where decades of immune tolerance have led to mostly vertical transmission; in sub-Saharan Africa, where genotypes A1 and E predominate, infection is transmitted horizontally between young children, followed by a nonreplicative phase. In both regions, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma are common and would be considerably ameliorated by AVT. Implementation of the HBV vaccine since the 1990s in Asia and 2000s in Africa has decreased the incidence of HBV, but vaccine failure and insufficiently effective prevention remain concerning issues.

Systematic review with meta-analysis: the diagnostic accuracy of transient elastography for the staging of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B

BACKGROUND

Transient elastography is a non-invasive method for staging liver fibrosis. The meta-analysis using the hierarchical models to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of transient elastography for the staging of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B was rarely reported.

AIM

A meta-analysis using the hierarchical models was performed to assess transient elastography for diagnosing and stage liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

METHODS

Electronic databases were searched and studies were identified to assess the diagnostic accuracy of transient elastography in CHB patients for staging fibrosis F ≥ 2, F ≥ 3 and F = 4 with liver biopsy as a reference standard. The hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curve and the bivariate models were performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of transient elastography, and meta-regression analyses were performed to explore the heterogeneity. The quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool was used to assess the quality of studies.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven studies with a total of 4386 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The summary sensitivity of transient elastography for staging fibrosis F ≥ 2, F ≥ 3 and F = 4 was 0.806 (95% CI, 0.756-0.847), 0.819 (95% CI, 0.748-0.874) and 0.863 (95% CI, 0.818-0.898), respectively, and the summary specificity was 0.824 (95% CI, 0.761-0.873), 0.866 (95% CI, 0.824-0.899) and 0.875 (95% CI, 0.840-0.903), respectively. The corresponding area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.88 (95% CI, 0.85-0.91), 0.91 (95% CI, 0.88-0.93) and 0.93 (95% CI, 0.91-0.95), respectively. Meta-regression showed that patient age contributed to heterogeneity.

CONCLUSIONS

Transient elastography performs well to diagnose liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B, which may reduce the use of liver biopsy.

Cost-effectiveness of non-invasive methods for assessment and monitoring of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with chronic liver disease: systematic review and economic evaluation

BACKGROUND

Liver biopsy is the reference standard for diagnosing the extent of fibrosis in chronic liver disease; however, it is invasive, with the potential for serious complications. Alternatives to biopsy include non-invasive liver tests (NILTs); however, the cost-effectiveness of these needs to be established.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the diagnostic accuracy and cost-effectiveness of NILTs in patients with chronic liver disease.

DATA SOURCES

We searched various databases from 1998 to April 2012, recent conference proceedings and reference lists.

METHODS

We included studies that assessed the diagnostic accuracy of NILTs using liver biopsy as the reference standard. Diagnostic studies were assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) tool. Meta-analysis was conducted using the bivariate random-effects model with correlation between sensitivity and specificity (whenever possible). Decision models were used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the NILTs. Expected costs were estimated using a NHS perspective and health outcomes were measured as quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Markov models were developed to estimate long-term costs and QALYs following testing, and antiviral treatment where indicated, for chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and chronic hepatitis C (HCV). NILTs were compared with each other, sequential testing strategies, biopsy and strategies including no testing. For alcoholic liver disease (ALD), we assessed the cost-effectiveness of NILTs in the context of potentially increasing abstinence from alcohol. Owing to a lack of data and treatments specifically for fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the analysis was limited to an incremental cost per correct diagnosis. An analysis of NILTs to identify patients with cirrhosis for increased monitoring was also conducted.

RESULTS

Given a cost-effectiveness threshold of £20,000 per QALY, treating everyone with HCV without prior testing was cost-effective with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of £9204. This was robust in most sensitivity analyses but sensitive to the extent of treatment benefit for patients with mild fibrosis. For HBV [hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative)] this strategy had an ICER of £28,137, which was cost-effective only if the upper bound of the standard UK cost-effectiveness threshold range (£30,000) is acceptable. For HBeAg-positive disease, two NILTs applied sequentially (hyaluronic acid and magnetic resonance elastography) were cost-effective at a £20,000 threshold (ICER: £19,612); however, the results were highly uncertain, with several test strategies having similar expected outcomes and costs. For patients with ALD, liver biopsy was the cost-effective strategy, with an ICER of £822.

LIMITATIONS

A substantial number of tests had only one study from which diagnostic accuracy was derived; therefore, there is a high risk of bias. Most NILTs did not have validated cut-offs for diagnosis of specific fibrosis stages. The findings of the ALD model were dependent on assuptions about abstinence rates assumptions and the modelling approach for NAFLD was hindered by the lack of evidence on clinically effective treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Treating everyone without NILTs is cost-effective for patients with HCV, but only for HBeAg-negative if the higher cost-effectiveness threshold is appropriate. For HBeAg-positive, two NILTs applied sequentially were cost-effective but highly uncertain. Further evidence for treatment effectiveness is required for ALD and NAFLD.

STUDY REGISTRATION

This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42011001561.

FUNDING

The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.

Evaluation of Aspartate Aminotransferase-to-Platelet Ratio Index as a Non-Invasive Marker for Liver Cirrhosis

INTRODUCTION

Liver biopsy is considered as a gold standard for the diagnosis of cirrhosis. Till date there is no non-invasive marker to replace it.

AIM

To investigate the effectiveness of Aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) as a non-invasive marker for liver cirrhosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty-one patients with cirrhosis, identified on USG abdomen were included in study. Platelet count and Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were done using haematology automatic analyser and automatic HITACHI-912 Auto Analyser respectively. APRI was calculated for every patient using the formula {(AST / ULN) x 100}/platelet count (10(9)/L). Predictive accuracy was evaluated with a receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve.

RESULTS

APRI correctly classified 49 (96.1%) patients of cirrhosis with area under the ROC curve of 0.973 (95% CI) at cut-off 0.65 with negative predictive value (NPV) and Positive predictive value (PPV) of 96% and 96.1% respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the test was found to be 96% and 96.1% respectively.

CONCLUSION

APRI could identify cirrhosis with high degree of accuracy in the studied patients.

Performance of transient elastography assessing fibrosis of single hepatitis B virus infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis of a diagnostic test

INTRODUCTION

Transient elastography has good diagnostic accuracy for predicting fibrosis and cirrhosis related to hepatitis B virus. However, the enrolled subjects in some studies have also included chronic hepatitis B patients with chronic hepatitis C coinfection or other etiologies of liver diseases. This might under- or overestimate the role of transient elastography in chronic hepatitis B patients.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted on records in PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library electronic databases until 31 December 2013. We systematically assessed the effectiveness and accuracy of transient elastography for predicting the fibrosis and cirrhosis of the single hepatitis B virus. The questionnaire for quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies was used.

RESULTS

In this meta-analysis, out of 257 articles evaluated for eligibility, 165 satisfied the predetermined inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. Eventually, our final data set for the meta-analysis contained 19 studies. The areas under the summary receiver-operating characteristic curve for transient elastography of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis were 0.8225 and 0.9108, respectively. The pooled diagnostic odds ratios for transient elastography of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis were 11.19 (95 % CI 6.63-18.89) and 26.87 (95 % CI 17.88-40.38), respectively. In Europe, the areas of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis were 0.803 and 0.905; those in Asia were 0.871 and 0.914, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on this meta-analysis we claim that liver stiffness measurement using transient elastography has good diagnostic accuracy for predicting single hepatitis B virus-related significant fibrosis and cirrhosis, especially in Asian populations.

Role of the Aspartate Transaminase and Platelet Ratio Index in Assessing Hepatic Fibrosis and Liver Inflammation in Adolescent Patients with HBeAg-Positive Chronic Hepatitis B

This study described an index of aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) to assess hepatic fibrosis with limited expense and widespread availability compared to the liver biopsy in adolescent patients with CHB.

Transient elastography compared to serum markers to predict liver fibrosis in a cohort of Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) using transient elastography (FibroScan) is a useful tool to assess fibrosis in various chronic liver diseases. However, studies were mainly performed in Western countries and largely focused on chronic hepatitis C (CHC). We therefore carried out a multicenter study to validate the accuracy of LSM in the assessment of liver fibrosis in a large cohort of Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

METHODS

We compared LSM results to histological staging and serum fibrosis markers (five direct markers, APRI and FIB-4) using Spearman correlation analysis and area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUROCs).

RESULTS

Four hundred sixty-nine patients were enrolled and eligible for statistical analysis. LSM in F0 to F4 was 5.5 ± 1.7, 5.8 ± 2.2, 7.6 ± 3.4, 14.5 ± 10.8, and 22.3 ± 13.6 kPa, respectively (correlation with fibrosis stage r = 0.522, P < 0.001). AUROC for LSM to correctly allocate patients to histological fibrosis stage ≥ F2, ≥ F3, and F4 was 0.82, 0.88, and 0.90, respectively. LSM outperformed serum fibrosis markers for detection of fibrosis F ≥ 2 and F4. Patients with ALT levels 1-5x and > 5x the upper limit of normal values had significantly higher stiffness values than stage-matched patients with normal alanine aminotransferase.

CONCLUSION

Transient elastography is a reliable noninvasive technique to predict significant liver fibrosis in Chinese patients with CHB, being superior to current biomarker panels. However, enhanced inflammatory activity can lead to elevated stiffness values unrelated to histological fibrosis stage.

Australian Liver Association (ALA) expert consensus recommendations for the use of transient elastography in chronic viral hepatitis

Since the introduction of Transient Elastography (TE) into Australia in 2008, non-invasive liver fibrosis assessments have integrated themselves into clinical hepatology. The Australian Liver Association (ALA) recognizes these technologies perform an important role in the assessment of chronic viral hepatitis B and C. However, in the setting of viral hepatitis and many other chronic liver diseases, there remains no consensus or guidelines regarding the performance, utility or reporting of TE. Accordingly, the ALA sought to produce an expert consensus statement for the use of TE in chronic viral hepatitis. The recommendations incorporated in this document are based upon a thorough literature review and draw on extensive clinical experience using TE. The initial draft was presented at Australian Gastroenterology Week (AGW) 2013. Through a collaborative process and expert external review a finalized document was presented at AGW 2014.

Comparison of diagnostic accuracy of aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index and fibrosis-4 index for detecting liver fibrosis in adult patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection: a systemic review and meta-analysis

The aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and fibrosis index based on the four factors (Fibrosis 4 index; FIB-4) are the two most widely studied noninvasive tools for assessing liver fibrosis. Our aims were to systematically review the performance of APRI and FIB-4 in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in adult patients and compare their advantages and disadvantages. We examined the diagnostic accuracy of APRI and FIB-4 for significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis based on their sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Heterogeneity was explored using metaregression. Our systemic review and meta-analysis included 16 articles of APRI only, 21 articles of APRI and FIB-4 and two articles of FIB-4 for detecting different levels of liver fibrosis. With an APRI threshold of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5, the sensitivity and specificity values were 70.0% and 60.0%, 50.0% and 83.0%, and 36.9% and 92.5% for significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis, respectively. With an FIB-4 threshold of 1.45 and 3.25, the sensitivity and specificity values were 65.4% and 73.6% and 16.2% and 95.2% for significant fibrosis. The summary AUROC values using APRI and FIB-4 for the diagnosis of significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis were 0.7407 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.7033-0.7781) and 0.7844 (95% CI: 0.7450-0.8238; (Z = 1.59, P = 0.06), 0.7347 (95% CI: 0.6790-0.7904) and 0.8165 (95% CI: 0.7707-0.8623; Z = 2.01, P = 0.02), and 0.7268 (95% CI: 0.6578-0.7958) and 0.8448 (95% CI: 0.7742-0.9154; (Z = 2.34, P = 0.01), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our meta-analysis suggests that APRI and FIB-4 can identify hepatitis B-related fibrosis with a moderate sensitivity and accuracy.

Transient elastography, APRI, and ultrasound have minimal utility in chronic low-replicative hepatitis B infection

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. E-antigen-negative CHB patients, with low liver enzymes and viremia, generally fare better. We determined the proportion of chronic low-replicative hepatitis B patients not meeting guideline-based antiviral therapy criteria nonetheless requiring treatment and increased hepatocellular carcinoma and varices surveillance based on transient elastography (TE), aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), and/or ultrasound (US) findings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Ottawa Hospital Viral Hepatitis Database was utilized. Included CHB patients were observed from January 2011 to April 2013, who were at least 18 years of age, e-antigen negative, with hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels below 20,000 IU/ml, normal liver enzymes (alanine transaminase <64 U/l), and normal synthetic function. Patients with other liver diseases, HIV, or HBV antiviral use were excluded. TE and US results were recorded and APRI was calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 264 patients met the eligibility criteria and 79 underwent TE. The median age was 41 years (quartiles: 37, 49); 53% were male patients and 95% were immigrants. Races included 47% Southeast Asians, 37% Black, and 11% White. Mean alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase were 34 U/l (SD 13) and 21 U/l (SD 7), respectively. The mean HBV DNA level was 2.15×10 IU/ml. The mean TE score was 4.5 kPa (SD 1.1). One patient had F2 fibrosis by TE. All others were F0-F1. The mean APRI was 0.30 (SD 0.20) with no values greater than 1.5.

CONCLUSION

No patients were identified with advanced fibrosis by TE, APRI, or US meriting HBV antiviral therapy and/or enhanced screening. TE and US have minimal apparent utility in this specific population.

The usefulness of transient elastography in the assessment of patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Histological severity is often mandatory for the management of HBeAg-negative chronic HBV patients. We evaluated the performance of transient elastography (TE) in this setting. We included 357 untreated HBeAg-negative patients with ≥ 1 reliable liver stiffness measurement (LSM-kPa) by TE: 182 inactive carriers with HBV-DNA < 2000 (n = 139) or 2000-19 999 IU/mL (n = 43) and 175 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). In carriers, HBV-DNA > 2000 and/or LSM > 6.5 were considered as biopsy indications. LSMs did not differ between carriers with low and high viremia, but were lower in carriers than in patients with CHB (5.8 ± 1.7 vs 9.0 ± 5.6, P < 0.001) offering moderate differentiation between these two groups (AUROC: 0.705). LSMs did not change significantly in carriers after 16 (12-24) months. In carriers with a liver biopsy, Ishak's staging scores were similar between cased with low and high viremia but higher in cases with LSM > 6.5 than ≤ 6.5 kPa. Moderate fibrosis (stages: 2-3) was detected in 0/10 carriers with only HBV-DNA > 2000 IU/mL, 2/10 (20%) carriers with only LSM > 6.5 and 5/10 (50%) carriers with both HBV-DNA > 2000 and LSM > 6.5 (P = 0.009). In patients with CHB, LSMs correlated significantly with grading and staging scores and offered excellent accuracy for ≥ moderate, ≥ severe fibrosis or cirrhosis (AUROC ≥ 0.919-0.950). TE can be helpful for the noninvasive assessment of HBeAg-negative chronic HBV patients. In conclusion, LSMs offer excellent accuracy for fibrosis severity in HBeAg-negative patients with CHB and can identify carriers with high risk of moderate fibrosis, which may be present in up to 35% of carriers with LSM > 6.5 kPa and 50% of carriers with LSM > 6.5 kPa and HBV-DNA > 2000 IU/mL.

The effectiveness of noninvasive biomarkers to predict hepatitis B-related significant fibrosis and cirrhosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy

Noninvasive biomarkers have been developed to predict hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related fibrosis owing to the significant limitations of liver biopsy. Those biomarkers were initially derived from evaluation of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related fibrosis, and their accuracy among HBV-infected patients was under constant debate. A systematic review was conducted on records in PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library electronic databases, up until April 1st, 2013, in order to systematically assess the effectiveness and accuracy of these biomarkers for predicting HBV-related fibrosis. The questionnaire for quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS) was used. Out of 115 articles evaluated for eligibility, 79 studies satisfied the pre-determined inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. Eventually, our final data set for the meta-analysis contained 30 studies. The areas under the SROC curve for APRI, FIB-4, and FibroTest of significant fibrosis were 0.77, 0.75, and 0.84, respectively. For cirrhosis, the areas under the SROC curve for APRI, FIB-4 and FibroTest were 0.75, 0.87, and 0.90, respectively. The heterogeneity of FIB-4 and FibroTest were not statistically significant. The heterogeneity of APRI for detecting significant fibrosis was affected by median age (P = 0.0211), and for cirrhosis was affected by etiology (P = 0.0159). Based on the analysis we claim that FibroTest has excellent diagnostic accuracy for identification of HBV-related significant fibrosis and cirrhosis. FIB-4 has modest benefits and may be suitable for wider scope implementation.

Performance of Enhanced Liver Fibrosis test and comparison with transient elastography in the identification of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection

Assessment of liver fibrosis is important in determining prognosis, disease progression and need for treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Limitations to the use of liver biopsy in assessing fibrosis are well recognized, and noninvasive tests are being increasingly evaluated including transient elastography (TE) and serum markers such as the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) test. We assessed performance of ELF and TE in detecting liver fibrosis with reference to liver histology in a cohort of patients with CHB (n = 182), and compared the performance of these modalities. Median age was 46 and mean AST 70 IU/L. Cirrhosis was reported in 20% of liver biopsies. Both modalities performed well in assessing fibrosis at all stages. Area under receiver operator characteristic (AUROC) curves for detecting METAVIR fibrosis stages F ≥ 1, F ≥ 2, F ≥ 3 and F4 were 0.77, 0.82, 0.80 and 0.83 for ELF and 0.86, 0.86, 0.90 and 0.95 for TE. TE performed significantly better in the assessment of severe fibrosis (AUROC 0.80 for ELF and 0.90 for TE, P < 0.01) and cirrhosis (0.83 for ELF and 0.95 for TE, P < 0.01). This study demonstrates that ELF has good performance in detection of liver fibrosis in patients with CHB, and when compared, TE performs better in detection of severe fibrosis/cirrhosis.

Biomarkers of liver fibrosis

Liver fibrosis is the final common pathway for almost all causes of chronic liver injury. Liver fibrosis is now known to be a dynamic process having significant potential for resolution. Therefore, fibrosis prediction is an essential part of the assessment and management of patients with chronic liver disease. As such, there is strong demand for reliable liver biomarkers that provide insight into disease etiology, diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis in lieu of more invasive approaches such as liver biopsy. Current diagnostic strategies range from use of serum biomarkers to more advanced imaging techniques including transient elastography and magnetic resonance imaging. In addition to these modalities, there are other approaches including the use of novel, but yet to be validated, biomarkers. In this chapter, we discuss the biomarkers of liver fibrosis including the use of invasive and noninvasive biomarkers and disease-specific biomarkers in various chronic liver diseases.

Evaluation of hepatic fibrosis stage (≥ F2) by fibroscan in patients with chronic viral hepatitis: A Meta-analysis

AIM: To evaluate the value of fibroscan (FS) in hepatic fibrosis stage assessment in patients with chronic viral hepatitis, and to examine whether its accuracy is affected by etiology.

METHODS: English and Chinese articles related to assessment of hepatic fibrosis stage by fibroscan in Wanfang, Chinese Journal Full-Text Database (CJFD), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), PubMed, Cochrane library and EMBASE database were strictly screened and evaluated. Data of enrolled articles were analyzed using Meta-disc1.4 and Stata12.0 software.

RESULTS: A total of 28 English and Chinese articles were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio and the area under curve (AUC) of summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve for significant fibrosis (F ≥ 2) and cirrhosis (F = 4) in patients with chronic viral hepatitis were 0.72 (0.70-0.73), 0.85 (0.83-0.87), 18.51 (13.28-25.80), 0.88 and 0.86 (0.84-0.88), 0.86 (0.85-0.87), 49.14 (30.53-79.09) and 0.94, respectively. There was no significant difference among the results of meta-analysis according to etiology.

CONCLUSION: Fibroscan has a high diagnostic accuracy for evaluating hepatic fibrosis stage, especially in patients with cirrhosis. The diagnostic accuracy of fibroscan is not affected by etiology.

Performance of transient elastography for the staging of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Transient elastography (TE), a non-invasive tool that measures liver stiffness, has been evaluated in meta-analyses for effectiveness in assessing liver fibrosis in European populations with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). However, these data cannot be extrapolated to populations in Asian countries, where chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is more prevalent. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis to assess the overall performance of TE for assessing liver fibrosis in patients with CHB.

METHODS

Studies from the literature and international conference abstracts which enrolled only patients with CHB or performed a subgroup analysis of such patients were enrolled. Combined effects were calculated using area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC) and diagnostic accuracy values of each study.

RESULT

A total of 18 studies comprising 2,772 patients were analyzed. The mean AUROCs for the diagnosis of significant fibrosis (F2), severe fibrosis (F3), and cirrhosis (F4) were 0.859 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.857-0.860), 0.887 (95% CI, 0.886-0.887), and 0.929 (95% CI, 0.928-0.929), respectively. The estimated cutoff for F2 was 7.9 (range, 6.1-11.8) kPa, with a sensitivity of 74.3% and specificity of 78.3%. For F3, the cutoff value was determined to be 8.8 (range, 8.1-9.7) kPa, with a sensitivity of 74.0% and specificity of 63.8%. The cutoff value for F4 was 11.7 (range, 7.3-17.5) kPa, with a sensitivity of 84.6% and specificity of 81.5%.

CONCLUSION

TE can be performed with good diagnostic accuracy for quantifying liver fibrosis in patients with CHB.

High prevalence of autoantibodies to C-reactive protein in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection: association with liver fibrosis and portal inflammation

The presence of autoantibodies against C-reactive protein (anti-CRP) has been reported in association with autoimmunity and histopathology in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Resistin could play a role in the pathogenesis of hepatitis, although results on HCV infection are ambiguous. Here we retrospectively analyzed anti-CRP and resistin levels in the sera of 38 untreated and well-characterized HCV patients at the time of their first liver biopsy. HCV activity and general health were assessed by a physician at least yearly until follow-up ended. Anti-CRP and resistin were also measured in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Anti-CRP antibodies were registered in all HCV patients, whereas only a few AIH (11%) and NAFLD (12%) sera were positive. Anti-CRP levels were related to histopathological severity and were highest in patients with cirrhosis at baseline. Resistin levels were similar in HCV, AIH, and NAFLD patients, but high levels of resistin were associated with early mortality in HCV patients. Neither anti-CRP nor resistin predicted a response to interferon-based therapy or cirrhosis development or was associated with liver-related mortality. We conclude that anti-CRP antibodies are frequently observed in chronic HCV infection and could be a useful marker of advanced fibrosis and portal inflammation.