title: [Value of FIB-4 for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the diagnostic value of FIB-4 in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) by comparing their results with histological features.
  
  
  METHODS
  212 chronic hepatitis B patients underwent liver biopsy with a blood sample taken simultaneously. The serum level of ALT, AST, PLT were tested. These results together with age of the patients were put into the formula and final results of FIB-4 were computed. Three different endpoints were studied according to liver fibrosis stage, namely significant fibrosis (S2 to s4), extensive fibrosis (S3 to S4) and cirrhosis (S4). With liver biopsy as the gold standard, ROC curves were delineated for different endpoints. The area under the ROC curves reflected its diagnostic values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The distribution of their fibrosis stage was as follows, S0:3 (1.4%); S1:49 (23.1%); S2:66 (31.1%); S3:50 (23.6%); S4:44 (20.8%). That means 160 patients (75.5%) had significant fibrosis (S2 to S4), 94 (44.3%) had extensive fibrosis (S3 to S4) and 44 (20.8%) had cirrhosis (S4). The AUCs of FIB-4 for significant fibrosis, extensive fibrosis and cirrhosis were 0.733 (95% CI: 0.660-0.806, P < 0.01), 0.746 (95% CI: 0.679-0.813, P < 0.01), 0.756 (95% CI: 0.687-0.825, P < 0.01) respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FIB-4 index is a simple, accurate and inexpensive methed to assess liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis and may reduce the need for liver biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
authors.forename: Yu-feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Lu-biao
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qi-huan
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases