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Platelet count to spleen diameter ratio non‐invasively identifies severe fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with autoimmune hepatitis
Author(s) -
Sheptulina Anna,
Shirokova Elena,
Nekrasova Tatiana,
Blum Hubert,
Ivashkin Vladimir
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/jgh.13407
Subject(s) - medicine , cirrhosis , gastroenterology , fibrosis , receiver operating characteristic , autoimmune hepatitis , liver biopsy , platelet , biopsy , hepatitis
Background and Aim Non‐invasive markers are essential to assess the progression of chronic liver diseases to fibrosis/ cirrhosis and the effectiveness of therapeutic strategies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of non‐invasive markers to identify significant fibrosis, severe fibrosis, and cirrhosis in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Methods Seventy‐six patients with AIH were enrolled in the study and analyzed for the following parameters of liver fibrosis: Fibrosis 4 score (FIB‐4), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio (AAR), AST to platelet count ratio (APRI), and platelet count to spleen diameter (PC/SD) ratio. All patients underwent liver biopsy. The diagnostic accuracy of tests was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Results Among the 76 AIH patients, 55 (72.3%) had significant fibrosis (≥ F2), 37 (48.7%) had severe fibrosis (≥ F3), and 29 (38.2%) had cirrhosis (F4). PC/SD ratio (AUROC = 0.840) was superior to AAR (AUROC = 0.756), FIB‐4 (AUROC = 0.702), and APRI (AUROC = 0.626) in discriminating between mild and significant fibrosis (≥ F2). The AUROCs of PC/SD ratio, FIB‐4, AAR, and APRI were 0.884, 0.742, 0.731, and 0.707, respectively, for severe fibrosis (≥ F3); 0.968, 0.795, 0.744, and 0.723, respectively, for cirrhosis (F4). PC/SD ratio correctly identified 85.1% of patients with severe fibrosis, and 89.6% of patients with cirrhosis. Conclusions PC/SD ratio proved to be a simple non‐invasive tool to correctly identify AIH patients with severe fibrosis and cirrhosis, thereby reducing the need for a liver biopsy in these patients.