title: Correlation between liver biopsy and fibrotest in the evaluation of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the diagnostic value of Fibrotest in comparison with liver biopsy, for the evaluation of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study included in 2 years (2006-2007), consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C naive to treatment. Fibrotest and liver biopsy were performed. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves , the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were used to assess the diagnostic value of Fibrotest in comparison with the METAVIR classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We recruited a total of 65 patients: 28 males and 37 females (mean age: 50 years); 92% of the patients had genotype 1. The histological fibrosis results were: 3.1% F0; 24.6% F1; 32.3% F2; 29.2% F3 and 10.8 % F4. The diagnostic value of Fibrotest in the detection of significant fibrosis (F2-F4) was 0. 87. A score > 0.5 has a sensitivity of 85. 1%, a specificity of 72. 2%, a positive predictive value of 88. 9%,and a negative predictive value of 65%. The diagnostic value of Fibrotest in the detection of cirrhosis (F4) was 0. 85. There were 13/65 cases of discordance (20%) for fibrosis, 4 cases were attributable to biopsy and 6 cases to Fibrotest. The discordance was unexplained in 3 cases. the size of biopsy< 15 mm [OR=2. 82, 95% CI, 1. 3-6. 07; p = 0. 008] and the stage of fibrosis F0, F1, F2 [OR =3. 35 , 95% CI, 1. 1-10. 2; p=0. 03] were considered as risk factors of discordance in multivariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This prospective study confirmed the good diagnostic value of Fibrotest as compared with the histological analysis of liver biopsy.
authors: Service de Gastroentérologie et d'hépatologie, Hôpital Charles Nicolle, Tunis, Tunisie.
authors: Yosra
authors: Y
authors: Said
authors: Mohamed
authors: M
authors: Salem
authors: Leila
authors: L
authors: Mouelhi
authors: Heifa
authors: H
authors: Mekki
authors: Fatma
authors: F
authors: Houissa
authors: Majd
authors: M
authors: Ben Rejeb
authors: Amel
authors: A
authors: Moussa
authors: Senda
authors: S
authors: Trabelsi
authors: Radhouane
authors: R
authors: Debbeche
authors: Slim
authors: S
authors: Bouzaidi
authors: Taoufik
authors: T
authors: Najjar
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers