Assessment of liver fibrosis by a noninvasive method of transient elastography and biochemical markers.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the correlation between the fibrotic area (FA) as calculated by a digital image analysis (DIA), and to compare the diagnostic accuracy of FibroScan to the other existing Liver fibrosis (LF) markers using the receiver operating curve analysis.


METHODS
We recruited 30 patients who underwent a liver resection for three different etiologies including normal liver, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Liver stiffness was measured by using a FibroScan. The FA was then calculated by DIA to evaluate LF in order to avoid any sampling bias.


RESULTS
The FA negatively correlated with Prothrom-bin time (PT), platelet count, lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), and pre-albumin (ALB). On the other hand, the findings of FibroScan correlated with similar markers. The FA positively correlated with FibroScan, serum hyaluronate level, and type IV collagen level, and aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index (APRI). The area under the receiver operating curve for FibroScan was higher than that for the other markers, even though the statistical significance was minimal.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that FibroScan can initially be used to assess LF as an alternative to a liver biopsy (LB) and serum diagnosis, because it is a safe method with comparable diagnostic accuracy regarding the existing LF markers.
Kawamoto
Masaki
M
Department of Surgery I, Sapporo Medical University Hospital, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, S-1, W-16, Chuo-Ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8543, Japan.
Mizuguchi
Toru
T
Katsuramaki
Tadashi
T
Nagayama
Minoru
M
Oshima
Hideki
H
Kawasaki
Hiroyuki
H
Nobuoka
Takayuki
T
Kimura
Yasutoshi
Y
Hirata
Koichi
K
D000368:Aged; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000032:analysis; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000032:analysis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000473:pathology; D024141:Collagen Type IV / Q000032:analysis; D003938:Diagnostic Techniques, Digestive System; D018450:Disease Progression; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis
D015415:Biomarkers; D024141:Collagen Type IV; D012709:Serum Albumin; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D001663:Bilirubin