title: Noninvasive assessment of liver stiffness by transient elastography (FibroScan) in liver fluke disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Transient elastography is a noninvasive and reliable method for the assessment of liver stiffness. This study aimed to assess liver stiffness of asymptomatic liver fluke disease patients by FibroScan and evaluate the factors influencing liver stiffness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Overall, 65 patients were prospectively recruited from The First People's Hospital of Foshan, Guangdong, China. All patients were diagnosed with liver fluke disease; their durations of ingested freshwater raw fish or shrimp were more than 10 years, and none of them had abnormal liver function and hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus infection, or clinical symptoms. All patients underwent FibroScan, blood biochemical examination, and BMI measurement on the same day. Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) values, sex, age, durations of ingested freshwater raw fish or shrimp, and BMI were recorded. LSM value greater than 7.4 kPa was defined as abnormal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 27 patients (41.5%) had abnormal LSM values. On partial correlation analysis, duration of ingested freshwater raw fish or shrimp was the independent factor that showed a positive correlation with abnormal LSM values (r=0.502, P=0.012). An independent-samples t-test showed that the durations of patients with abnormal LSM values were significantly longer than the durations of patients with normal LSM values (P<0.001). Sex, age, and BMI were not significantly correlated with LSM values (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high proportion of asymptomatic liver fluke disease patients had abnormal LSM values. The durations of patients with abnormal LSM values were significantly longer than the durations of patients with normal LSM values and the durations of patients with abnormal LSM values were an independent factor that showed a positive correlation with abnormal LSM values.
authors.affiliation: aSouthern Medical University bDepartment of Radiology, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou cDepartment of Radiology, The First People's Hospital of Foshan City, Foshan, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Aizhen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Mingyong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Zaiyi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Changhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D004435:Eating; D004548:Elasticity; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005211:Fascioliasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000469:parasitology; D005618:Fresh Water; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D066256:Raw Foods / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000469:parasitology; D012758:Shellfish / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000469:parasitology; D013997:Time Factors