title: Outcome analysis of liver stiffness by ARFI (acoustic radiation force impulse) elastometry in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B and C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between liver stiffness measured by acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastometry and the outcome of antiviral treatment in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B and C.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight patients with chronic viral hepatitis B (n = 16) or hepatitis C (n = 22) underwent liver biopsy and ARFI elastometry of the right hepatic lobe. A follow-up assessment using ARFI was performed a mean of 2.3 years after the baseline evaluation. The patients with favourable outcome were classified in group S and those receiving no treatment, showing no response to treatment, or experiencing a relapse were classified in group N.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 38 patients had an initial mean ARFI value of 1.56 ± 0.62 m/s as compared with 1.54 ± 0.64 m/s in the follow-up evaluation. Group S showed a significant decline in ARFI values (1.55 ± 0.60 m/s versus 1.34 ± 0.47 m/s; p < 0.05) and included 16 (64%) patients with lower shear wave velocities at follow-up. In group N, liver stiffness values showed a slight but not significant increase (1.57 ± 0.70 m/s versus 1.93 ± 0.77 m/s).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes in liver stiffness during antiviral therapy can be assessed by ARFI reflecting response or no response. ARFI elastometry is an additional, useful tool for the follow-up assessment of treatment outcome in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B or C infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine 1, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany. Electronic address: ruediger.goertz@uk-erlangen.de.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Goertz
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine 1, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sturm
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine 1, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zopf
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine 1, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wildner
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine 1, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Neurath
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine 1, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Strobel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents