Egy-Score Can Predict Portal Hypertension and Oesophageal Varices in Chronic Hepatitis C with Good Sensitivity, Specificity and Diagnostic Accuracy

Abstract

1.1.Aim:To test the ability of Egy-Score as a predictor for the presence of portal hypertension (PHT) and oesophageal varices in chronic hepatitis C (CHC). 1.2.Methods:Treatment naive CHC patients were enrolled. They were classified into 2 groups according to presence or absence of PHT. Patients were subjected to liver function tests (LFTs), hepatitis C virus antibody (HCV-Ab), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs-Ag), anti-nuclear antibody (ANA), Bilharzial agglutination titer, ultrasound abdomen and oesophago-gastro-duodensocpy. Egy-Score, AST-to-Platelet ration index (APRI) and FIB-4 were calculated according to their original formulas. 1.3.Results:Our study included 50 patients (26 males). Bilharziasis was detected in 13 patients (26%), PHT in 26 patients (52%), oesophageal varices (OV) in 23 patients(46%). Egy-Score was able todetect PHT and OV with AUROC of 0.929 and 0.890 respectively. FIB-4 was able todetect PHT and OV with AUROC of 0.798 and 0.750 respectively. APRI was able todetect PHTand OV with AUROC of 0.707 and 0.657. Bilharziasis had noimpact on the predictive ability of different scores. Conclusion:Serum fibrosis biomarkers can predict presence of PHT and OV with good accuracy. Egy-Score was the best predictor among the studied biomarkers panels.