Abstract
Background and aims: We sought to clarify the relationship between virtual touch quantification (VTQ) in acoustic radiation force impulse and skeletal muscle mass as assessed by bio-electronic impedance analysis in patients with chronic liver diseases (CLDs, n = 468, 222 males and 246 females, median age = 62 years). Patients and methods: Decreased skeletal muscle index (D-SMI) was defined as skeletal muscle index (SMI) <7.0 kg/m2 for males and as SMI <5.7 kg/m2 for females, according to the recommendations in current Japanese guidelines. We examined the correlation between SMI and VTQ levels and investigated factors linked to D-SMI in the univariate and multivariate analyses. The area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) for the presence of D-SMI was also calculated. Results: In patients with D-SMI, the median VTQ level was 1.64 meters/second (m/s) (range, 0.93–4.32 m/s), while in patients without D-SMI, the median VTQ level was 1.11 m/s (range, 0.67–4.09 m/s) (p < 0.0001). In the multivariate analysis, higher VTQ was found to be an independent predictor linked to the presence of D-SMI (p < 0.0001). In receiver operating characteristic analysis, body mass index had the highest AUROC (0.805), followed by age (0.721) and VTQ (0.706). Conclusion: VTQ levels can be useful for predicting D-SMI in patients with CLDs.
Highlights
The severity of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver diseases (CLDs) is the major determinant of long-term clinical outcomes, driving both the development of liver-related complications and mortality [1,2,3,4]
We examined the correlation between skeletal muscle index (SMI) and liver fibrosis markers (VTQ, FIB-4 index, APRI, and platelet count) and investigated factors linked to Decreased skeletal muscle index (D-SMI) in the univariate and multivariate analyses
In terms of liver fibrosis stages, F4 was observed in 178 patients, F3 in 73, F2 in 73, F1 in 114, F0 in 9, and not tested in 21
Summary
The severity of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver diseases (CLDs) is the major determinant of long-term clinical outcomes, driving both the development of liver-related complications and mortality [1,2,3,4]. Nutrients 2017, 9, 620 technique for non-invasively assessing the degree of tissue stiffness [7,8,9,10]. This modality can evaluate the degree of liver fibrosis and accurately in the clinical settings [10,11]. We sought to clarify the relationship between virtual touch quantification (VTQ) in acoustic radiation force impulse and skeletal muscle mass as assessed by bio-electronic impedance analysis in patients with chronic liver diseases (CLDs, n = 468, 222 males and 246 females, median age = 62 years). Conclusion: VTQ levels can be useful for predicting D-SMI in patients with CLDs
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