• DOI:10.3350/kjhep.2009.15.4.464
• Corpus ID: 25059565

[Factors associated with liver stiffness in chronic liver disease].

@article{Lee2009FactorsAW,
  title={[Factors associated with liver stiffness in chronic liver disease].},
  author={Dami Lee and Eun-Joon Moon and Joo An Hwang and Min Suk Lee and Jae Youn Cheong and Sung Won Cho and Yeong Bae Kim and Dong Joon Kim and Seong Gyu Hwang and Jin Mo Yang},
  journal={The Korean journal of hepatology},
  year={2009},
  volume={15 4},
  pages={
          464-73
        }
}

• Dami Lee, E. Moon, +7 authors J. M. Yang
• Published 1 December 2009
• Medicine, Biology
• The Korean journal of hepatology

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Transient elastography is a new noninvasive tool for measuring liver stiffness that accurately predicts significant fibrosis and cirrhosis. However, several studies have indicated that liver stiffness can be significantly influenced by major changes in aminotransferase in patients with chronic viral hepatitis. The aim of this study was to determine the factors influencing liver stiffness in patients with chronic liver disease.

METHODS
We studied 158 patients with chronic liver disease who underwent transient elastography and liver biopsy sampling. Histologic findings on fibrosis and necroinflammatory activity in the biopsy specimens were evaluated according to the Korean Society of Pathologists Scoring System. Routine biochemical tests were performed according to standard methods.

RESULTS
Liver stiffness was strongly correlated with liver fibrosis stage (Spearman coefficient=0.636, P<0.001), lobular activity (Spearman coefficient=0.359, P<0.001), and portoperiportal activity grade (Spearman coefficient=0.448, P<0.001). Liver stiffness was significantly associated with serum levels of total bilirubin (P=0.025), direct bilirubin (P=0.049), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (P=0.014), platelet count (P=0.004), albumin (P<0.001), and international normalized ratio (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that fibrosis stage (B 3.50, P=0.009) and lobular activity grade (B 3.25, P=0.047) were independently associated with liver stiffness.

CONCLUSIONS
Liver stiffness as measured by transient elastography is associated with the grade of necroinflammatory activity and the stage of fibrosis, irrespective of serum ALT levels.