title: Is ARFI elastography reliable for predicting fibrosis severity in chronic HCV hepatitis?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography is a reliable method for predicting fibrosis severity in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) hepatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a multicenter study including 274 subjects with HCV chronic hepatitis in which we compared ARFI with liver biopsy (LB). In each patient we performed LB (evaluated according to the Metavir score) and ARFI measurements (using a Siemens Acuson S2000™ ultrasound system: 10 valid measurements were performed and median values were calculated and expressed in meters/second (m/s).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A direct, strong, correlation (Spearman r = 0.707) was found between ARFI measurements and fibrosis (P < 0.0001). For predicting the presence of fibrosis (F ≥ 1 Metavir), significant fibrosis (F ≥ 2), severe fibrosis (F ≥ 3) and cirrhosis (F = 4), the cut-off values of 1.19, 1.21, 1.58 and 1.82 m/s were determined, respectively, liver stiffness measurements had 73%, 84%, 84% and 91% Se respectively; 93%, 91%, 94%, 90% Sp, respectively; with AUROCs of 0.880, 0.893, 0.908 and 0.937, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ARFI measurement is a reliable method for predicting the severity of fibrosis in HCV patients.
authors.affiliation: Ioan Sporea, Roxana Şirli, Simona Bota, Alina Popescu, Mirela Dănilă, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timişoara, 10 Iosif Bulbuca Bv., 300736 Timisoara, Romania.
authors.forename: Ioan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sporea
authors.forename: Roxana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sirli
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bota
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fierbinţeanu-Braticevici
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrişor
authors.forename: Radu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Badea
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lupşor
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Popescu
authors.forename: Mirela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dănilă