title: Performance of liver stiffness measurements by transient elastography in chronic hepatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare results of liver stiffness measurements by transient elastography (TE) obtained in our patients population with that used in a recently published meta-analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a single center cross-sectional study. Consecutive patients with chronic viral hepatitis scheduled for liver biopsy at the outpatient ward of our Infectious Diseases Department were enrolled. TE was carried out by using FibroScan™ (Echosens, Paris, France). Liver biopsy was performed on the same day as TE, as day case procedure. Fibrosis was staged according to the Metavir scoring system. The diagnostic performance of TE was assessed by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the ROC curve analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and fifty-two patients met the inclusion criteria. Six (2%) patients were excluded due to unreliable TE measurements. Thus, 246 (171 men and 75 women) patients were analyzed. One hundred and ninety-five (79.3%) patients had chronic hepatitis C, 41 (16.7%) had chronic hepatitis B, and 10 (4.0%) were coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus. ROC curve analysis identified optimal cut-off value of TE as high as 6.9 kPa for F ≥ 2; 7.9 kPa for F ≥ 3; 9.6 kPa for F = 4 in all patients (n = 246), and as high as 6.9 kPa for F ≥ 2; 7.3 kPa for F ≥ 3; 9.3 kPa for F = 4 in patients with hepatitis C (n = 195). Cut-off values of TE obtained by maximizing only the specificity were as high as 6.9 kPa for F ≥ 2; 9.6 kPa for F ≥ 3; 12.2 kPa for F = 4 in all patients (n = 246), and as high as 7.0 kPa for F ≥ 2; 9.3 kPa for F ≥ 3; 12.3 kPa for F = 4 in patients with hepatitis C (n = 195).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cut-off values of TE obtained in this single center study are comparable to that obtained in a recently published meta-analysis that included up to 40 studies.
authors: Ultrasound Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Medical School University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy. giovanna.ferraioli@unipv.it
authors: Giovanna
authors: G
authors: Ferraioli
authors: Carmine
authors: C
authors: Tinelli
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Dal Bello
authors: Mabel
authors: M
authors: Zicchetti
authors: Raffaella
authors: R
authors: Lissandrin
authors: Gaetano
authors: G
authors: Filice
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Filice
authors: Elisabetta
authors: E
authors: Above
authors: Giorgio
authors: G
authors: Barbarini
authors: Enrico
authors: E
authors: Brunetti
authors: Willy
authors: W
authors: Calderon
authors: Marta
authors: M
authors: Di Gregorio
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Gulminetti
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Lanzarini
authors: Serena
authors: S
authors: Ludovisi
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Maiocchi
authors: Antonello
authors: A
authors: Malfitano
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Michelone
authors: Lorenzo
authors: L
authors: Minoli
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Mondelli
authors: Stefano
authors: S
authors: Novati
authors: Savino F A
authors: SF
authors: Patruno
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Perretti
authors: Gianluigi
authors: G
authors: Poma
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Sacchi
authors: Domenico
authors: D
authors: Zanaboni
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Zaramella
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D012044:Regression Analysis
keywords: Chronic viral hepatitis; Elastography; FibroScan; Hepatitis C; Liver; Liver biopsy; Liver fibrosis; Transient elastography; Ultrasound