Correlation between liver biopsy and fibrotest in the evaluation of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
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.
Said
Yosra
Y
Service de Gastroentérologie et d'hépatologie, Hôpital Charles Nicolle, Tunis, Tunisie.
Salem
Mohamed
M
Mouelhi
Leila
L
Mekki
Heifa
H
Houissa
Fatma
F
Ben Rejeb
Majd
M
Moussa
Amel
A
Trabelsi
Senda
S
Debbeche
Radhouane
R
Bouzaidi
Slim
S
Najjar
Taoufik
T
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
D015415:Biomarkers