Declining in liver stiffness cannot indicate fibrosis regression in patients with chronic hepatitis B: A 78‐week prospective study

Background and Aim Little reliable data are available about the liver stiffness measurement (LSM) for fibrosis monitoring in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients on antiviral therapy. We aimed to assess the accuracy of LSM in fibrosis monitoring during 78‐week antiviral therapy in CHB patients. Methods Five hundred fifty‐six treatment‐naïve CHB patients with qualified LSM and liver biopsy at baseline were analyzed. Patients receiving entecavir‐based therapy were prospectively followed to 78 weeks for second LSM and liver biopsy. Serologic detection, LSM, and liver biopsy were performed on the same day. Necro‐inflammatory activity was also evaluated. Results Areas under receiver operating characteristics curves of LSM at baseline and week 78 for significant fibrosis (≥ F3), advanced fibrosis (≥ F4), and liver cirrhosis (≥ F5) was 0.84, 0.87, 0.83 and 0.76, 0.85, 0.88, respectively. Patients with the same fibrosis stage but higher histology activity index score tend to have higher LSM at baseline. Liver stiffness decreased rapidly (3.8 [1.6–8.6] kPa) in parallel with baseline histology activity index scores from 11.3 (7.8–16.7) kPa at baseline to 6.4 (5.1–8.8) kPa at week 78. Greater decline of LSM in patients with only inflammation improvement was observed as compared with those without inflammation improvement (5.2 [2.5–9.7] vs 1.8 [0.2–8.1] kPa, P  = 0.013). Baseline Ishak fibrosis score was the only predictor of 78‐week fibrosis improvement (odds ratio, 1.859; P  = 0.000). Conclusions In CHB patients receiving 78‐week antiviral treatment, LSM could diagnosis different liver fibrosis stages, decrease in absolute LSM value could reflect the remission of liver inflammation, and baseline Ishak fibrosis score was the only predictor for 78‐week fibrosis reversion.