Correlation of serum markers with FibroScan® liver for assessment of hepatic fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

Abstract

Abstract Background: Newer non-invasive modalities such as FibroScan and laboratory testing methods such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST) platelet ratio index (APRI) scores, AST/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) scores are being used for fibrosis assessment in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients where facilities for liver biopsy are lacking. We studied the relationship between FibroScan® scores and serum fibrosis markers in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients. Methods: One hundred patients who had undergone FibroScan of the liver over the past 2 years were enrolled. Demographic data were collected along with serum ALT, serum AST and platelet counts. The AST/ALT ratio, APRI score and FIB-4 were compared with the FibroScan fibrosis scores. Correlate between the degree of fibrosis in relation to age, platelet counts, serum ALT, serum markers and FibroScan scores was studied. Results: A significant positive correlation was noted between the FibroScan® results and the AST/ALT ratio, the APRI score and the FIB-4. No significant correlation was noted between age and fibrosis score. There was a highly significant correlation between platelet count and stiffness score. Conclusions: Our observations suggest that FibroScan®, along with the serum fibrosis markers, is helpful in assessing liver fibrosis in NASH patients, eliminating the need for liver biopsy in resource-poor settings.