The gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio (GPR) predicts significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with chronic HBV infection in West Africa

Purpose — to assess liver fibrosis in children with chronic HBV infection with nonEinvasive methods: instrumental (shear wave elastography) and serological (APRI score). Materials and methods. 70 children with HCV aged 2–17 years were examined. The stage of liver fibrosis was determined by the APRI index and the method of shear wave elastography. Results. The majority (82.8%; n=58) of children were diagnosed with HBeAgEpositive HBV infection: HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis occurred in 54.3% (n=38) of children, HBeAg-positive chronic infection in 28.6% (n=20). 15.7% (n=11) of children had HBeAg-negative chronic infection, and only one (1.4%) patient had HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis. According to the results of shear wave elastography, in 64.3% (n=45) the stage of liver fibrosis F0-1 was diagnosed; in 35.7% (n=25) — stage of fibrosis >F2. According to APRI score, 63.0% (n=44) had liver fibrosis F0-1, and liver fibrosis stage >F2 was diagnosed in 37.2% (n=26). According to liver elastography, 42.0% of patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis were diagnosed with liver fibrosis stage >F2. According to APRI score, almost 66% (n=46) of children with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis had progressive liver fibrosis >F2. According to the correlation analysis results, a direct correlation was found between liver enzymes levels and APRI score — ALT (τ=0.67; p<0.05), AST (τ=0.72; p<0.05) and GGT (τ=0.26; p<0.05). Conclusions. Most children with chronic HBV infection had stage F0-1 liver fibrosis according to both elastography and APRI score (64% and 63%, respectively). Elastography fibrosis stage >F2 was diagnosed in 42% of HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis, while APRI index fibrosis stage >F2 was diagnosed in 66% of patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis. Thus, the results of the liver fibrosis evaluation according to the liver elastography and APRI score in children with chronic HBV infection are similar and can be used in clinical practice to select patients who require antiviral therapy. The APRI score depends on the activity of hepatitis and its use in children with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis has certain limitations. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. No conflict of interest was declared by the authors. Key words: children, chronic HBV infection, fibrosis, shear wave elastography, APRI.

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A Novel Diagnostic Nomogram for Noninvasive Evaluating Liver Fibrosis in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2020/5218930 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Danying Cheng ◽

Gang Wan ◽

Lei Sun ◽

Xiaomei Wang ◽

Weini Ou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Liver Fibrosis ◽

Hbv Infection ◽

Training Dataset ◽

Validation Dataset ◽

Chronic Hbv Infection ◽

Chronic Hepatitis B Virus ◽

B Virus ◽

Independent Risk Factors ◽

Chronic Hbv

Objective. To establish a novel nomogram for diagnosing liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and verify the diagnostic performance of the established nomogram. Methods. Patients with chronic HBV infection who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled in this retrospective study; 70% and 30% of patients were randomly assigned to training dataset and validation dataset, respectively. The risk factors for liver fibrosis were screened using the univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Based on the results, a nomogram was established and verified. Results. 508 patients with chronic HBV infection were included in this study (n=355 for training dataset and n=153 for validation dataset). The logistic regression analysis showed that liver stiffness measurement (LSM), platelet (PLT) count, and prothrombin time (PT) were independent risk factors for liver fibrosis (P<0.01), which were used to establish the nomogram. The consistency index (C-index) of the nomogram established for diagnosing liver fibrosis was 0.875. The calibration line and the ideal line were consistent, which indicated that diagnosis of liver fibrosis by the established model was accurate. The values of area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve (AUROC) for diagnosing liver fibrosis by the nomogram were 0.857 and 0.862 in the training dataset and validation dataset, respectively, which were noticeably higher than those in the well-known serological models, including the aspartate aminotransferase- (AST-) to-platelet ratio index (APRI) scoring model, fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) scoring model, APAG model (including age, PT, albumin, and γ-glutamyl transferase), and S-index model (all P<0.05). Conclusion. LSM, PT, and PLT were found as independent risk factors for liver fibrosis. The established nomogram exhibited an excellent diagnostic performance, and it can more visually and individually evaluate the probability of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic HBV infection.

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Association Analysis of Genetic Variants of Sodium Taurocholate Co-Transporting Polypeptide NTCP Gene (SLC10A1) and HBV Infection Status in a Cohort of Egyptian Patients

Gastroenterology Insights ◽

10.3390/gastroent12040037 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 384-393

Author(s):

Maissa El Said El Raziky ◽

Naglaa Ali Zayed ◽

Yasmin Saad Ibrahim ◽

Fatma Elrashdy ◽

Rasha Mohamad Hosny Shahin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liver Fibrosis ◽

Hepatitis B ◽

Sodium Taurocholate ◽

Hbv Infection ◽

Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse ◽

Chronic Hbv Infection ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Group I ◽

Egyptian Patients ◽

Chronic Hbv

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the SLC10A1 gene, coding for a functional receptor of hepatitis B virus (HBV), sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP), may influence the susceptibility, outcome, and disease course of HBV infection in some populations. Aim: to determine the prevalence of SNPs of the NTCP gene, rs2296651 and rs943277, and their relationship with chronic HBV infection in a group of Egyptian patients. Methods: One hundred and thirty seven patients with HBV and 65 healthy controls were enrolled, and the patients were divided into two groups; group I chronic HBV infection (68 patients with normal ALT and minimal or no liver necroinflammation or fibrosis) and group II chronic hepatitis B (69 patients with elevated ALT and moderate or severe liver necroinflammation). They were subjected to full history taking, clinical examination, laboratory investigations, abdominal ultrasound, and liver stiffness measurement using both Echosens® Fibroscan and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI). A real time PCR TaqMan 5′ allelic discrimination assay was applied to detect the SNPs in the NTCP gene, rs2296651 and rs943277. Results: On studying the rs2296651 variant, all controls and patients had genotype GG without any significant association with HBV infection or disease progression. However, the rs943277 variant in all controls and 98% of patients had genotype GA, except for two chronic HBV infection patients who had genotype AA, but no significant difference between patients and controls was found. The non-invasive methods for liver fibrosis assessment ARFI, AST/platelet’s ratio (APRI), and fibrosis-4 score (FIB-4) could predict the stages of fibrosis in agreement with Fibroscan with AUCOR 0.8, 0.79, and 0.76, respectively. Conclusion: These findings may suggest that there is no relation between these SNPs of the NTCP gene and the susceptibility or chronicity of HBV infection in the Egyptian population. We also suggest that the use of the non-invasive methods for liver fibrosis assessment, ARFI, FIB-4, and APRI, may decrease the need for liver biopsies in the prediction of significant hepatic fibrosis in chronic HBV patients.

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