title: The utility of aspartate aminotransferase/platelet ratio index in HIV/hepatitis C-co-infected patients.
abstract: Liver biopsy is currently the gold standard for determining the stage of liver fibrosis. There are risks associated with liver biopsy; therefore, surrogate markers to predict the severity of disease would be useful. We studied 50 patients with HIV/hepatitis C co-infection who had liver biopsies and determined that no patient with an aspartate aminotransferase/platelet ratio index (APRI) of 0.6 or less had stage F3 or F4 disease. The APRI is useful for excluding advanced disease in this patient population.
authors.affiliation: St Vincent's Midtown Hospital, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Lalita
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shastry
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lascher
authors.forename: Jill A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Nord
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases