Noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis with combined serum aminotransferase/platelet ratio index and hyaluronic acid in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
OBJECTIVE
To construct a noninvasive assessment model consisting of routine laboratory data to predict significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).


METHODS
A total of 137 consecutive patients with CHB who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into two groups according to their aminotransferase (ALT) level. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), the likelihood ratio (LR) of aminotransferase/platelet ratio index (APRI) > or = 1.5 or < 1.5 in combination with different hyaluronic acid (HA) cut-off points were calculated for the presence of moderate to severe fibrosis/cirrhosis (fibrosis stages 2 and 4) and no to mild fibrosis/cirrhosis (fibrosis stages 0 and 1).


RESULTS
The APRI correlated with fibrosis stage in CHB patients. The APRI > or = 1.5 in combination with a cut-off HA cut-off point > 300 ng/mL could detect moderate to severe fibrosis (stages 2-4) in CHB patients. The PPV was 93.7%, the specificity was 98.9%. The APRI < 1.5 in combination with different HA cut-off points could not detect no to mild fibrosis in CHB patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The APRI > or = 1.5 in combination with a HA cut-off point > 300 ng/mL can detect moderate to severe fibrosis (stages 2-4) in CHB patients.
Zhang
You-Xiang
YX
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China.
Wu
Wen-Juan
WJ
Zhang
Yun-Zhi
YZ
Feng
Yan-Ling
YL
Zhou
Xin-Xi
XX
Pan
Qi
Q
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D010976:Platelet Count; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D015415:Biomarkers; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D000410:Alanine Transaminase