Correlation of aspartate aminotransferase/platelet ratio index with hepatic venous pressure gradient in cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND

Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is a prognostic marker in cirrhosis, but is invasive. There is a need to validate a noninvasive marker to measure portal hypertension. Aspartate aminotransferase/platelet ratio index (APRI) is proposed as a good noninvasive estimator of hepatic fibrosis. Whether APRI could be used as noninvasive tool to measure portal hypertension has not been studied.

AIM

To correlate APRI with HVPG in patients with cirrhosis and to determine the diagnostic usefulness of the APRI in detection of high portal pressure.

METHODS

APRI and HVPG were measured in consecutive patients of cirrhosis aged 18-75 years, with serum bilirubin <5 mg/dl, Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score ≤12, and without evidence of acute-on-chronic liver failure or flare.

RESULTS

This study included 74 patients (median age 47 years, range 20-70 years; 57 males, (77%). The aetiology of cirrhosis was: viral 33 (45%), alcohol 10 (14%), and cryptogenic and others 31 (42%). The median HVPG was 16 mmHg (range 2-28 mmHg). The median APRI was 1.19 (range 0.17-7.92). There was significant correlation between HVPG and APRI (Spearman's rho 0.365; p = 0.001). The ROC curve to study the performance of APRI for predicting high portal pressure (HVPG >12 mmHg) had area under curve 0.716 (95% CI 0.574-0.858). An APRI of ≥1.09 had a sensitivity 66%, specificity 73%, positive predictive value 85%, negative predictive value 47%, and diagnostic accuracy 68% for predicting HVPG >12 mmHg.

CONCLUSIONS

APRI correlates fairly with HVPG in patients of cirrhosis. An APRI score of ≥1.09 seems to have an acceptable accuracy for prediction of high portal pressure. APRI is a fair, bedside, cost-effective parameter for diagnosis of high portal pressure in patients with cirrhosis.