Performance of serum marker panels for liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is characterised by hepatic fibrosis, used as a proxy measure of prognosis. Liver biopsy is a flawed reference standard and serum markers of fibrosis offer an attractive alternative.


METHODS
A systematic review was conducted to assess the performance of panels of serum markers of hepatic fibrosis in CHC, incorporating analyses placing markers in a clinical context.


RESULTS
14 studies were included with 10 different panels. Median AUC in validation populations was 0.77 and training populations 0.81. Likelihood ratios (LR) ranged from -LR 0.1 to 0.9, + LR 1.2 to 33.1, diagnostic odds ratios (DOR) were 9.0 (median) with a range of 5 to 27- mostly below values of robust tests. Tests perform with either high sensitivity with low specificity or vice versa. Cut-off levels that gave clinically relevant predictive values for the presence/absence of significant fibrosis were applicable to 35% of the population.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum markers can rule-in or rule-out fibrosis in up to 35% of patients, but cannot differentiate stages of fibrosis reliably. Improvement of index and reference test in needed including evaluation of clinical outcomes as reference. Improved test reporting is needed to derive LR and DOR as performance indicators.
Parkes
Julie
J
Public Health Sciences & Medical Statistics, University of Southampton, Level C South Academic Block, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK. jules@soton.ac.uk
Guha
Indra Neil
IN
Roderick
Paul
P
Rosenberg
William
W
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D018450:Disease Progression; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D015415:Biomarkers