Published online Aug 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i30.10585
Revised: March 3, 2014
Accepted: May 12, 2014
Published online: August 14, 2014
AIM: To study the diagnostic value of controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), evaluated by transient elastography, for liver steatosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
METHODS: Eighty-eight patients with CHB were enrolled in this study. All of the patients were subjected to transient elastography to determine CAP. These patients also underwent liver biopsy in the same period. Using liver biopsy as a reference, we determined receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for different endpoints. Areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) were used to evaluate the diagnostic importance of CAP for liver steatosis in patients with CHB.
RESULTS: A positive correlation was observed between the AUCs of CAP and liver pathological stage (r = 0.582, P < 0.05). CAP was not correlated with inflammation degree and fibrosis degree (r = -0.025, P > 0.05; r = 0. 068, P > 0.05). The mean CAP value at S0 was 209.59 ± 41.25 dB/m, 223.84 ± 35.28 dB/m at S1, 274.17 ± 43.69 dB/m at S2, and 312.50 ± 25.44 dB/m at S3. CAP values among S0, S1, S2, and S3 were significantly different (F = 17.79, P < 0.01). The AUC values for CAP were 0.711 (0.592-0.870), 0.868 (0.748-0.989), and 0.974 (0.922-1.026) for S1, S2, and S3, respectively. The optimal cut-off values were 219.5, 230.0, and 283.5 dB/m.
CONCLUSION: CAP is a novel tool that can be used to assess the degree of steatosis.
Core tip: In recent years, numerous patients suffer from steatosis combined with hepatitis B virus infection. Hence, the amount of fat in the liver of these patients should be evaluated. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic importance of controlled attenuation parameter, evaluated by transient elastography, for liver steatosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.