Changes of FibroScan, APRI, and FIB-4 in chronic hepatitis B patients with significant liver histological changes receiving 3-year entecavir therapy.

Abstract

Noninvasive fibrosis tests have been used widely for evaluation of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We aimed to investigate the influence of antiviral treatment on FibroScan, APRI, and FIB-4 in CHB patients with significant liver histological changes (SLHC) defined as inflammatory grade≥A2 and/or fibrosis stage≥F2. A total of 104 CHB patients with SLHC at the baseline were included. FibroScan, APRI, and FIB-4 values were compared before and after 3-year entecavir (ETV) treatment. Liver stiffness measurement values decreased significantly after 3-year ETV treatment in cirrhosis group (from 13.6 to 9.6kPa, p=0.018), significant fibrosis group (from 8.4 to 5.8kPa, p=0.001), and mild fibrosis group (from 5.5 to 4kPa, p<0.001). APRI decreased significantly after 3-year ETV treatment in patients with cirrhosis (from 0.80 to 0.25, p<0.001), patients with significant fibrosis (from 0.54 to 0.24, p<0.001), and those with mild fibrosis (from 0.35 to 0.23, p<0.001). FIB-4 decreased significantly after 3-year ETV treatment in patients with cirrhosis (from 1.27 to 0.81, p=0.007) and significant fibrosis (from 1.12 to 0.78, p<0.001), while did not decrease significantly in patients with mild fibrosis (from 0.90 to 0.80, p=0.389). FibroScan, APRI, and FIB-4 values decreased significantly after 3-year ETV treatment in CHB patients, whichindicates that these noninvasive fibrosis tests might be useful for monitoring regression of liver fibrosis and assessing treatment efficacy during long-term ETV treatment.