title: Transient Elastographic Values of Healthy Volunteers in a Tertiary care Hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transient elastography is a very promising noninvasive procedure to determine liver stiffness for diagnosis of fibrosis in various chronic liver diseases. However, studies on normal values of liver stiffness in apparently healthy subjects are still few. We aimed to determine liver stiffness values in healthy Nepalese volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Transient elastography (Fibro ScanR, Echosens, Paris, France) was performed to find out liver stiffness values in 45 apparently healthy volunteers after explaining study protocol. Complete medical examination with routine laboratory tests was performed. Subjects with normal liver biochemistries and normal liver ultrasonography were taken for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean liver stiffness value of study subjects was 4.24 ± 0.70 kPa. Liver stiffness value was found higher in males than in females (4.32±0.74 vs 4.07±0.61 kPa, respectively, P =0.26) but not statistically significant. Similarly, comparison between age and liver stiffness also showed positive correlation( r = 0.211) but not statistically significant( P = 0.164) CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the mean liver stiffness value was 4.24 ± 0.70 kPa in our population and influence of age, gender and body mass index were not significant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, National Academy of Medical Sciences, Bir Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.
authors.forename: Bhupendra Kumar
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Basnet
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, National Academy of Medical Sciences, Bir Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.
authors.forename: Sudhamshu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kc
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, National Academy of Medical Sciences, Bir Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.
authors.forename: Dilip
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, National Academy of Medical Sciences, Bir Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shrestha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004548:Elasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: chronic liver disease; Fibro ScanR; healthy volunteers; liver stiffness valve; transient elastography.