title: Assessment of non-invasive models for liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B virus related liver disease patients in resource limited settings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A total of 350 million individuals are affected by chronic hepatitis B virus infection world-wide. Historically, liver biopsy has been instrumental in adequately assessing patients with chronic liver disease. A number of non-invasive models have been studied world-wide.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to assess the utility of non-invasive mathematical models of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Indian patients in a resource limited setting using routinely performed non-invasive laboratory investigations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study carried out at a tertiary care center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 52 consecutive chronic liver disease patients who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy and 25 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Routine laboratory investigations included serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Gama glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), total bilirubin, total cholesterol, prothrombin time and platelet count. Three non-invasive models for namely aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), Fibrosis 4 (FIB-4) and Forn's index were calculated. Outcomes were compared for the assessment of best predictor of fibrosis by calculating the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of each index.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medcalc online software and by Microsoft Excel Worksheet. Chi-square test was used for significance. P value < 0.05 was taken as significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While the serum levels of AST, ALT and GGT were significantly higher in patients group as compare with the healthy controls (P < 0.01), the platelet counts were significantly lower in patient group as compared to the control group (P < 0.01). Mean value of all 3 indices were significantly higher in patients group as compare with the controls (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Out of the three indices, APRI index with a NPV of 95% appeared to be a better model for excluding significant liver fibrosis while FIB-4 with a PPV of 61% showed fair correlation with significant fibrosis. Thus, these two non-invasive models for predicting of liver fibrosis, namely APRI and FIB-4, can be utilized in combination as screening tools in monitoring of CHB patients, especially in resource limiting settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Army Hospital (Research and Referral), New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shrivastava
authors.forename: Sourav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: Debabrata
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Banerji
authors.forename: Ashok K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Praharaj
authors.forename: Gurvinder Singh
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Chopra
authors.forename: Satyajit Singh
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Gill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers