title: Serum levels of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 are correlated with liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) expression and the severity of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, and to explore the diagnostic value of serum TIMP-1.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 159 CHB patients underwent liver biopsy for the analysis of liver fibrosis stages and inflammation. Serum TIMP-1 was determined by ELISA. Hyaluronic acid (HA), procollagen type III (PCIII), collagen type IV (CIV), laminin (LN), and FIB-4 index were determined and calculated, and diagnostic accuracy was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum levels of TIMP-1 were associated with the grade of liver inflammation in CHB patients (r = 0.695, P < 0.01), especially in those without fibrosis or with stage 1 fibrosis, and were also positively correlated with liver fibrosis in CHB patients (r = 0.854, P < 0.01), particularly in those with inflammation at grade 1, 2 and 3. The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) of serum TIMP-1 was 0.918 for significant liver fibrosis (≥stage 2), and a sensitivity of 89.4% and specificity of 83.6% were obtained with a cut-off value of ≥174.5 ng/mL of serum TIMP-1, which were higher than that of HA, CIV and FIB-4 index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TIMP-1 is a valuable single biomarker for the evaluation of significant fibrosis in CHB patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China. zhuchuanlong@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Chuan Long
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Wen Ting
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ren Tao
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D024061:Collagen Type III / Q000097:blood; D024141:Collagen Type IV / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000097:blood; D007797:Laminin / Q000378:metabolism; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D024061:Collagen Type III; D024141:Collagen Type IV; D007797:Laminin; C560822:TIMP1 protein, human; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid