Noguchi R, Kaji K, Namisaki T, Moriya K, Kitade M, Takeda K, Kawaratani H, Okura Y, Aihara Y, Furukawa M, Mitoro A, Yoshiji H. Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme level for evaluating significant fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B.
World J Gastroenterol 2017;
23:6705-6714. [PMID:
29085215 PMCID:
PMC5643291 DOI:
10.3748/wjg.v23.i36.6705]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM
To evaluate the diagnostic performance of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) on significant liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
METHODS
In total, 100 patients with CHB who underwent liver biopsy in our hospital were enrolled, and 70 patients except for 30 patients with hypertension, fatty liver or habitual alcoholic consumption were analyzed. We compared histological liver fibrosis and serum ACE levels and evaluated the predictive potential to diagnose significant liver fibrosis by comparison with several biochemical marker-based indexes such as the aspartate aminotransferase (AST)-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), the fibrosis index based on four factors (FIB-4), the Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) level and the number of platelets (Plt).
RESULTS
Serum ACE levels showed moderately positive correlation with liver fibrotic stages (R2 = 0.181). Patients with significant, advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis (F2-4) had significantly higher serum ACE levels than those with early-stage fibrosis and cirrhosis (F0-1). For significant fibrosis (≥ F2), the 12.8 U/L cut-off value of ACE showed 91.7% sensitivity and 75.0% specificity. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) value of ACE was 0.871, which was higher than that of APRI, FIB-4, M2BPGi and Plt.
CONCLUSION
The serum ACE level could be a novel noninvasive, easy, accurate, and inexpensive marker of significant fibrosis stage in patients with CHB.
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