[Diagnostic value of serum biochemical markers for liver fibrosis in patients with hepatitis B virus].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the value of serum biochemical markers in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis in patients with hepatitis B.

METHODS

Fifty-two patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection were divided into liver fibrosis group (group I) and non-liver fibrosis group (group II) according to the results of pathological biopsy, with 67 normal subjects serving as control (group III). The levels of alanine aminotransterase (ALT), aspartate aminotransterase (AST), albumin, total bilirumin, total cholesterol, alpha(2)-macrogbulin, apolipoprotient-A(1) (Apo-A(1)) and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) were compared among the 3 groups, and the area under the receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve and liver fibrosis index scores were calculated for the patients with liver fibrosis at different stages.

RESULTS

It was observed that the levels of ALT, total bilirumin, alpha(2)-macrogbulin, APO-A(1) and GGT were significantly correlated with the clinical staging of liver fibrosis (P<0.05). ROC area calculated in connection with the 5 serum biochemical markers was 0.83+/-0.13. When liver fibrosis index scores fell below 0.2, negative results of fibrosis diagnose were indicated with an accuracy as mush as 92.3 %, and in cases that ended up with a positive diagnose due to a score between 0.8 and 1.0, the accuracy reached 81.8 %.

CONCLUSION

A combined assessment of the indices such as ALT, total bilirumin, alpha(2)-macrogbulin, APO-A(1) and GGT may help obtain an accurate diagnosis of liver cirrhosis with less need of pathological biopsy.