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Reduction of liver stiffness by antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis B

  • Original Article—Liver, Pancreas, and Biliary Tract
  • Published:
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Abstract

Background

Liver stiffness (LS) has been reported to correlate with fibrosis stage (F). The correlation between LS and fibrosis stage and the reduction of LS by antiviral therapy were examined in patients with hepatitis B infection.

Methods

LS was measured by FibroScan in 212 patients infected with hepatitis B virus. Liver biopsies were done in 51 patients. Changes of LS were assessed in 29 patients treated with nucleotide or nucleoside analogs and 52 patients without antiviral therapy.

Results

LS was significantly correlated with fibrosis stage (ρ = 0.686, P < 0.0001). The optimal cut-off values of LS were 7.1 kPa for F ≥ 2, 10.7 kPa for F ≥ 3, and 16.0 kPa for F4. LS was significantly reduced by antiviral therapy, from 12.9 (range 6.2–17.9) kPa to 6.6 (4.4–10.3) kPa measured at an interval of 512 (range 366–728) days (P < 0.0001). Eleven of 19 (58%) patients with baseline fibrosis stages of F3-4 deduced from LS had 2-point or greater reductions of deduced stage at the last LS measurement. The change ratio of hyaluronic acid (P = 0.0390) was associated with a 2-point or greater reduction of deduced fibrosis stage. Without antiviral therapy, LS tended to increase, increasing from 6.1 (range 3.9–8.5) kPa to 6.3 (range 4.4–9.7) kPa at an interval of 422 (range 358–709) days (P = 0.0682).

Conclusions

LS was significantly correlated with fibrosis stage in patients with chronic hepatitis B. The reduction of LS by antiviral therapy was significantly correlated with the reduction of hyaluronic acid. Thus, we conclude that LS can be useful to assess the progression and regression of liver fibrosis stage noninvasively.

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Abbreviations

LS:

Liver stiffness

HBV:

Hepatitis B virus

HCC:

Hepatocellular carcinoma

TE:

Transient elastography

kPa:

Kilopascals

ROC:

Receiver operating characteristics

AST:

Aspartate aminotransferase

ALT:

Alanine aminotransferase

APRI:

Aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medical Technology, School of Health Sciences, Fujita Health University, Aichi, Japan

    Keisuke Osakabe, Naohiro Ichino & Koji Suzuki

  2. Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fujita Health University Hospital, Aichi, Japan

    Toru Nishikawa, Hiroko Sugiyama, Miho Kato & Shiho Kitahara

  3. Department of Liver, Biliary Tract and Pancreas Diseases, Fujita Health University, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake, Toyoake, Aichi, 470-1192, Japan

    Senju Hashimoto, Naoto Kawabe, Masao Harata, Yoshifumi Nitta, Michihito Murao, Takuji Nakano, Hiroaki Shimazaki, Yuko Arima & Kentaro Yoshioka

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  1. Keisuke Osakabe
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  2. Naohiro Ichino
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  3. Toru Nishikawa
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  4. Hiroko Sugiyama
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  10. Yoshifumi Nitta
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  14. Yuko Arima
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  15. Koji Suzuki
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  16. Kentaro Yoshioka
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kentaro Yoshioka.

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Osakabe, K., Ichino, N., Nishikawa, T. et al. Reduction of liver stiffness by antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis B. J Gastroenterol 46, 1324–1334 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-011-0444-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-011-0444-4

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