6533b828fe1ef96bd12890d0
RESEARCH PRODUCT
An evaluation of transient elastography in the discrimination of HBeAg-negative disease from inactive hepatitis B carriers
Giovanni RaimondoMichael JacobsM. PleguezueloP. KhannaSergio MaimoneVincenza CalvarusoGiuliana AmaddeoGiovanni SquadritoGeoff Dusheikosubject
AdultMalemedicine.medical_specialtyPathologyHepatitis B virusBiopsymedicine.disease_causeGastroenterologyDiagnosis DifferentialYoung Adultfibroscan hepatitis B hepatitis B virus transient elastography type B hepatitis HBeAgFibrosisVirologyInternal medicineBiopsymedicineHumansHepatitis B e AntigensHepatitis B AntibodiesAgedHepatitis B virusHepatitis B Surface AntigensHepatologymedicine.diagnostic_testbusiness.industryvirus diseasesAlanine TransaminaseHepatitis BMiddle Agedmedicine.diseaseHepatitis Bdigestive system diseasesInfectious DiseasesCross-Sectional StudiesFibroscan; hepatitis B virus; transient elastography; type B hepatitis HBeAgHBeAgLiverLiver biopsyCarrier StateElasticity Imaging TechniquesFemalebusinessTransient elastographyViral hepatitisdescription
Summary. Liver biopsy is frequently required in HBeAg-negative disease to determine the stage of fibrosis. It can be difficult to distinguish cohorts with undetectable HBeAg who may have varying degrees of fibrosis due to different stages of disease. We have assessed the utility of transient elastography (TE) to evaluate differences in HBeAg-negative patients. A total of 220 HBsAg-positive individuals were studied: 125 (group 1) had an inactive HBsAg carrier state and 95 (group 2) were HBeAg-negative, anti-HBe-positive patients with persistently or intermittent elevation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and/or HBV DNA >105 copies/mL. Mean stiffness was 4.83 ± 1.2 kPa in group 1 vs 8.53 ± 6 kPa in group 2 (P < 0.001); statistically significant differences were also found between AST/ULN ALT/ULN ratios, HBV DNA in group 1 vs group 2, respectively (P < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, the only variable independently associated with the stage of fibrosis was the stiffness. This study shows that mean hepatic stiffness by elastography is significantly lower in patients with inactive hepatitis B compared to those with HBeAg-negative disease. The procedure is a useful adjunct to diagnosis to confirm a clinical pattern of disease, and for more selective use of liver biopsy before considering antiviral therapy.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-01-01 |