New markers of fibrosis in hepatitis C:A step towards the Holy Grail?

In the present issue of the World Journal of Hepatology,Ferrassi et al examine the problem of liver fibrosis staging in chronic hepatitis C.They identify novel biomarkers in an effort to predict accurate fibrosis staging with the aid of the metabolome of Hepatitis C patients.Overall I think Ferrassi et al took a different approach in identifying fibrosis biomarkers,by looking at the patients’metabolome.Their biomarkers clearly separate patients from controls.They can also separate out,patients with minimal fibrosis(F0-F1 stage)and patients with cirrhosis(F4 stage).Obviously,if these biomarkers were to be widely used,tests for all the important metabolites would need to be readily available for use in hospitals or outpatient setting and that may prove difficult and above all,costly.Nevertheless,this step could eventually lead to a metabolomic approach for novel biomarkers of Fibrosis.Obviously,it would need to be validated,but could represent a step towards the Holy Grail of Hepatology.

Sequential algorithms combining non-invasive markers and biopsy for the assessment of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B

AIM： To assess the performance of several noninvasive markers and of our recently proposed stepwise combination algorithms to diagnose significant fibrosis （F ≥ 2 by METAVIR） and cirrhosis （F4 by METAVIR） in chronic hepatitis B （CHB）.METHODS： One hundred and ten consecutive patients （80 males, 30 females, mean age： 42.6 ± 11.3） with CHB undergoing diagnostic liver biopsy were included. AST-to-Platelet ratio （APRI）, Forns＇ index, AST-to-ALT Ratio, Goteborg University Cirrhosis Index （GUCD, Hui＇s model and Fibrotest were measured on the day of liver biopsy. The performance of these methods and of sequential algorithms combining Fibrotest, APRI and biopsy was defined by positive （PPV） and negative （NPV） predictive values, accuracy and area under the curve （AUC）. RESULTS： PPV for significant fibrosis was excellent （100%） with Forns and high （〉 92%） with APR1, GUCI, Fibrotest and Hui. However, significant fibrosis could not be excluded by any marker （NPV 〈 65%）. Fibretest had the best PPV and NPV for cirrhosis （87% and 90%, respectively）. Fibrotest showed the best AUC for both significant fibrosis and cirrhosis （0.85 and 0.76, respectively）. Stepwise combination algorithms of APR1, Fibrotest and biopsy showed excellent performance （0.96 AUC, 100% NPV） for significant fibrosis and 0.95 AUC, 98% NPV for cirrhosis, with 50%-80% reduced need for liver biopsy. CONCLUSION： In CHB sequential combination of APRI, Fibrotest and liver biopsy greatly improves the diagnostic performance of the single non-invasive markers. Need for liver biopsy is reduced by 50%-80% but cannot be completely avoided. Non-invasive markers and biopsy should be considered as agonists and not antagonists towards the common goal of estimating liver fibrosis.

Gene expression profiles of hepatic cell-type specific marker genes in progression of liver fibrosis

AIM: To determine the gene expression profile data for the whole liver during development of dimethylni-trosamine (DMN)-induced hepatic fibrosis.METHODS: Marker genes were identified for different types of hepatic cells, including hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), Kupffer cells (including other inflammatory cells), and hepatocytes, using independent temporal DNA microarray data obtained from isolated hepatic cells. RESULTS: The cell-type analysis of gene expression gave several key results and led to formation of three hypotheses: (1) changes in the expression of HSC-specific marker genes during fibrosis were similar to gene expression data in in vitro cultured HSCs, suggesting a major role of the self-activating characteristics of HSCs in formation of fibrosis; (2) expression of mast cell-specific marker genes reached a peak during liver fibrosis, suggesting a possible role of mast cells in formation of fibrosis; and (3) abnormal expression of hepatocyte-specific marker genes was found across several metabolic pathways during fibrosis, including sulfur-containing amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and drug metabolism, suggesting a mechanistic relationship between these abnormalities and symptoms of liver fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Analysis of marker genes for specific hepatic cell types can identify the key aspects of fibro-genesis. Sequential activation of inflammatory cells and the self-supporting properties of HSCs play an important role in development of fibrosis.

Matrix-derived serum markers in monitoring liver fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis B treated with interferon alpha

To evaluate prospectively 4 selected serum fibrosis markers （tenascin, hyaluronan, collagen Ⅵ, TIMP-1） before, during and 12 mo after IFN treatment of children with chronic hepatitis B. METHODS： Forty-seven consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis B （range 4-16 years, mean 8 years） underwent IFN treatment （3 MU tiw for 20 wk）. Fibrosis stage and inflammation grade were assessed in a blinded fashion before and 12 mo after end of treatment. Serum fibrosis markers were determined using automated assays.RESULTS： IFN treatment improved histological inflammation but did not change fibrosis in the whole group or in subgroups. Only hyaluronan correlated significantly with histological fibrosis（r = 0.3383, P = 0.022）. Basal fibrosis markers did not differ between responders （42.5%） and nonresponders（57.5%）. During IFN treatment only serum tenascin decreased significantly in the whole group and in nonresponders. When pretreatment values were compared to values 12 mo after therapy, TIMP-1 increased in all patients and in nonresponders, and hyaluronan decreased in all patients and in responders.CONCLUSION： Tenascin reflects hepatic fibrogenesis and inflammation which decreases during IFN treatment of children with chronic hepatitis B. TIMP-1 correlates with nonresponse and hyaluronan with histological fibrosis.

Non invasive fibrosis biomarkers reduce but not substitute the need for liver biopsy

Chronic liver diseases are very common worldwide, particularly those linked to viral hepatitis and to alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver. Their natural history is variable and long-term evolution differs in individual patients. Optimised clinical management of compensated chronic liver diseases requires precise definition of the stage of liver fibrosis, the main determinant of prognosis and of most therapeutic decisions. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for assessment of hepatic fibrosis. However, it is invasive with possible complications, costly and prone to sampling errors. Many non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis have been recently proposed and assessed in the clinical setting as surrogates of liver biopsy. Direct markers are based on biochemical parameters directly linked to fibrogenesis while indirect markers use simple or more sophisticated parameters that correlate with liver fibrosis stages. Non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis have been tested in different forms of chronic liver disease and showed variable diagnostic performance, but accuracy rarely was above 75%-80%. Better results were obtained when markers were combined. On this line, we have recently proposed a set of algorithms that combine sequentially indirect non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis, reaching 90%-95% diagnostic accuracy with significant reduction in the need for liver biopsy. Based on available evidence, it can be anticipated that non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis and their combined use will soon become a most useful tool in the clinical management of many forms of chronic liver disease. However, their implementation is expected to reduce, but not to completely eliminate, the need for liver biopsy.

Three-Tesla magnetic resonance elastography for hepatic fibrosis:Comparison with diffusion-weighted imaging and gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

AIM: To evaluate the feasibility of 3-Tesla magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) for hepatic fibrosis and to compare that with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

Hydroxysafflor yellow A protects against thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis in rats via suppressing proinflammatory/fibrogenic mediators and promoting hepatic stellate cell senescence and apoptosis

Objective:To evaluate the effect of hydroxysafflor yellow A(HSYA)on thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis.Methods:Thioacetamide was administered to rats intraperitoneally in doses of 200 mg/kg twice a week for 12 weeks.Thioacetamide-intoxicated rats were given silymarin(50 mg/kg)or HSYA(5 mg/kg)orally every day for 8 weeks.Liver enzymes,fibrosis markers,histological changes as well as immunohistochemistry of TNF-α,IL-6,p21,α-SMA,and caspase-3 were examined.The effect of HSYA on HSC-T6 activation/proliferation and apoptosis was also determined in vitro.Results:HSYA decreased liver enzymes,TNF-α,IL-6,and p21 expressions,hepatic PDGF-B,TIMP-1,TGF-β1,and hydroxyproline levels,as well as fibrosis score(S2 vs.S4)compared to the thioacetamide group.HSYA also downregulatedα-SMA while increasing caspase-3 expression.Surprisingly,at 500μg/mL,HSYA had only a slightly suppressive effect on HSC proliferation,with a 9.5%reduction.However,it significantly reduced TGF-β1,inhibitedα-SMA expression,induced caspase-3 expression,and promoted cell senescence.Conclusions:HSYA may be a potential therapeutic agent for delaying and reversing the progression of liver fibrosis.More research on HSYA at higher doses and for a longer period is warranted.

The combination of endoglin and FIB-4 increases the accuracy of detection of hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C patients

Background and aim: In patients infected with chronic hepatitis C virus, liver biopsy is the gold standard method of staging fibrosis. Different combinations of serum markers attempted to correlate with hepatic fibrosis in place of liver biopsy and have shown encouraging results. The aim of our study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of endoglin and FIB-4 as non-invasive markers of hepatic fibrosis in HCV patients. Methods: We estimated serum endoglin & FIB-4 index in 40 infected chronic hepatitis C patients. Histological staging of hepatic fibrosis was done according to the METAVIR scoring system. Results: Both endoglin and FIB-4 index showed positive correlation with age and aspartate transaminase and inverse correlation with albumin. The diagnostic performance determined by AUROCs for early fibrosis (≤F2), was 0.868 for endoglin and 0.887 for FIB-4, at cut off va- lues of 5.5 & 0.98 with sensitivity of 64.3% & 82.1%, and specificity of 100% & 85% respectively. For ad-vanced fibrosis (>F2), the AUROC was 0.98 for endoglin and 0.967 for FIB-4, obtained at cut off values of 6.29 & 1.6, with sensitivity of 100% & 91.7%, and specificity of 89.3% & 92.9%, respectively. Conclusion: Both serum endoglin and FIB-4 index are fairly accurate in differentiating stages of hepatic fibrosis;their combination in a single equation enhanced the accuracy of fibrosis detection in chronic HCV patients.

Staging of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B patients with a composite predictive model:A comparative study

AIM:To evaluate the efficacy of 6 noninvasive liver fibrosis models and to identify the most valuable model for the prediction of liver fibrosis stage in chronic hepatitis B(CHB) patients.METHODS:Seventy-eight CHB patients were consecutively enrolled in this study.Liver biopsy was performed and blood serum was obtained at admission.Histological diagnosis was made according to the METAVIR system.Significant fibrosis was defined as stage score ≥ 2,severe fibrosis as stage score ≥ 3.The diagnostic accuracy of 6 noninvasive liver fibrosis models,including serum aspartate aminotransferase(AST) to platelet ratio index(APRI),FIB-4,Forn's index,Fibrometer,Hepascore,and Shanghai Liver Fibrosis Group's index(SLFG),was investigated.RESULTS:The APRI,FIB-4 and Forn's index under receiver operating characteristic curve(AUROC) for sig-nificant fibrosis were 0.71,0.75 and 0.79,respectively,with a diagnosis accuracy of 67%,77% and 80%,respectively,and 0.80,0.87 and 0.86,respectively,under the AUROC for severe fibrosis.The Hepascore,SLFG,and Fibrometer were 0.80,0.83 and 0.85,respectively under the AUROC for significant fibrosis(P < 0.01).The diagnosis accuracy of Hepascore and SLFG was 86% and 88%,respectively.The Hepascore,SLFG,and Fibrometer were 0.95,0.93,and 0.94,respectively,under the AUROC for severe fibrosis(P < 0.01).CONCLUSION:The models containing direct serum markers have a better diagnostic value than those not containing direct serum markers.

Is the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio associated with liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B?

AIM: To determine the association between the neutrophil to lymphocyte(N/L) ratio and the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB) infection. METHODS: Between December 2011 and February 2013, 129 consecutive CHB patients who were admitted to the study hospitals for histological evaluation of chronic hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis were included in this retrospective study. The patients were divided into two groups based on the fibrosis score: individuals with a fibrosis score of F0 or F1 were included in the "no/minimal liver fibrosis" group, whereas patients with a fibrosis score of F2, F3, or F4 were included in the "advanced liver fibrosis" group. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences 18.0 for Windows was used to analyze the data. A P value of < 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.RESULTS: Three experienced and blinded pathologists evaluated the fibrotic status and inflammatory activity of 129 liver biopsy samples from the CHB patients. Following histopathological examination, the "no/minimal fibrosis" group included 79 individuals, while the "advanced fibrosis" group included 50 individuals. Mean(N/L) ratio levels were notably lower in patients with advanced fibrosis when compared with patients with no/minimal fibrosis. The mean value of the aspartate aminotransferase-platelet ratio index was markedly higher in cases with advanced fibrosis compared to those with no/minimal fibrosis.CONCLUSION: Reduced levels of the peripheral blood N/L ratio were found to give high sensitivity, specificity and predictive values in CHB patients with significant fibrosis. The prominent finding of our research suggests that the N/L ratio can be used as a novel noninvasive marker of fibrosis in patients with CHB.

Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme level for evaluating significant fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B

AIM To evaluate the diagnostic performance of angiotensinconverting enzyme(ACE)on significant liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB). METHODS In total,100 patients with CHB who underwent liver biopsy in our hospital were enrolled,and 70 patients except for 30 patients with hypertension,fatty liver or habitual alcoholic consumption were analyzed.We compared histological liver fibrosis and serum ACE levels and evaluated the predictive potential to diagnose significant liver fibrosis by comparison with several biochemical marker-based indexes such as the aspartate aminotransferase(AST)-to-platelet ratio index(APRI),the fibrosis index based on four factors(FIB-4),the Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer(M2BPGi)level and the number of platelets(Plt). RESULTS Serum ACE levels showed moderately positive correlation with liver fibrotic stages(R2=0.181).Patients with significant,advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis(F2-4)had significantly higher serum ACE levels than those with early-stage fibrosis and cirrhosis(F0-1).For significant fibrosis(≥F2),the 12.8 U/L cut-off value of ACE showed 91.7%sensitivity and 75.0%specificity.The receiver-operating characteristic(ROC)curves analysis revealed that the area under the curve(AUC)value of ACE was 0.871,which was higher than that of APRI,FIB-4,M2BPGi and Plt. CONCLUSION The serum ACE level could be a novel noninvasive,easy,accurate,and inexpensive marker of significant fibrosis stage in patients with CHB.

Non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B

The goal of this review is to provide a comprehensive picture of the role,clinical applications and future perspectives of the most widely used non-invasive techniques for the evaluation of hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection.During the past decade many non-invasive methods have been developed to reduce the need for liver biopsy in staging fibrosis and to overcome whenever possible its limitations,mainly:invasiveness,costs,low reproducibility,poor acceptance by patients.Elastographic techniques conceived to assess liver stiffness,in particular transient elastography,and the most commonly used biological markers will be assessed against their respective role and limitations in staging hepatic fibrosis.Recent evidence highlights that both liver stiffness and some bio-chemical markers correlatewith survival and major clinical end-points such as liver decompensation,development of hepatocellular carcinoma and portal hypertension.Thus the non-invasive techniques here discussed can play a major role in the management of patients with chronic HBV-related hepatitis.Given their prognostic value,transient elastography and some bio-chemical markers can be used to better categorize patients with advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis and assign them to different classes of risk for clinically relevant outcomes.Very recent data indicates that the combined measurements of liver and spleen stiffness enable the reliable prediction of portal hypertension and esophageal varices development.

Novel index for the prediction of significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B patients in China

BACKGROUND Noninvasive,practical,and convenient means of detection for the prediction of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in China are greatly needed.AIM To develop a precise noninvasive test to stage liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.METHODS With liver biopsy as the gold standard,we established a new index,[alkaline phosphatase(U/L)+gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase(U/L)/platelet(109/L)(AGPR)],to predict liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.In addition,we compared the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUROC)of AGPR,gammaglutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio,aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index,and FIB-4 and evaluated the accuracy of these routine laboratory indices in predicting liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.RESULTS Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between AGPR and liver fibrosis stage(P<0.001).In the training cohort,the AUROC of AGPR was 0.83(95%CI:0.78-0.87)for predicting fibrosis(≥F2),0.84(95%CI:0.79-0.88)for predicting extensive fibrosis(≥F3),and 0.87(95%CI:0.83-0.91)for predicting cirrhosis(F4).In the validation cohort,the AUROCs of AGPR to predict≥F2,≥F3 and F4 were 0.83(95%CI:0.77-0.88),0.83(95%CI:0.77-0.89),and 0.84(95%CI:0.78-0.89),respectively.CONCLUSION The AGPR index should become a new,simple,accurate,and noninvasive marker to predict liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B patients.

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabonomic models for non-invasive diagnosis of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C:Optimizing the classification of intermediate fibrosis

AIM To develop metabonomic models(MMs), using 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) spectra of serum, to predict significant liver fibrosis(SF: Metavir ≥ F2), advanced liver fibrosis(AF: METAVIR ≥ F3) and cirrhosis(C: METAVIR = F4 or clinical cirrhosis) in chronic hepatitis C(CHC) patients. Additionally, to compare the accuracy of the MMs with the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index(APRI) and fibrosis index based on four factors(FIB-4). METHODS Sixty-nine patients who had undergone biopsy in the previous 12 mo or had clinical cirrhosis were included. The presence of any other liver disease was a criterion for exclusion. The MMs, constructed using partial least squares discriminant analysis and linear discriminant analysis formalisms, were tested by cross-validation, considering SF, AF and C. RESULTS Results showed that forty-two patients(61%) presented SF, 28(40%) AF and 18(26%) C. The MMs showed sensitivity and specificity of 97.6% and 92.6% to predict SF; 96.4% and 95.1% to predict AF; and 100% and 98.0% to predict C. Besides that, the MMs correctly classified all 27(39.7%) and 25(38.8%) patients with intermediate values of APRI and FIB-4, respectively. CONCLUSION The metabonomic strategy performed excellently in predicting significant and advanced liver fibrosis in CHC patients, including those in the gray zone of APRI and FIB-4, which may contribute to reducing the need for these patients to undergo liver biopsy.

Serial changes in expression of functionally clustered genes in progression of liver fibrosis in hepatitis C patients

AIM: To investigate the relationship of changes in expression of marker genes in functional categories or molecular networks comprising one functional category or multiple categories in progression of hepatic fibrosis in hepatitis C (HCV) patients. METHODS: Marker genes were initially identified using DNA microarray data from a rat liver fibrosis model. The expression level of each fibrosis associated marker gene was analyzed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in clinical biopsy specimens from HCV-positive patients (n = 61). Analysis of changes in expression patterns and interactions of marker genes in functional categories was used to assess the biological mechanism of fibrosis. RESULTS: The profile data showed several biological changes associated with progression of hepatic fibrosis. Clustered genes in functional categories showed sequential changes in expression. Several sets of clustered genes, including those related to the extracellular matrix (ECM), inflammation, lipid metabolism, steroid metabolism, and some transcription factors important for hepatic biology showed expression changes in the immediate early phase (F1/F2) of fibrosis. Genes associated with aromatic amino acid (AA) metabolism, sulfur-containing AA metabolism and insulin/ Wnt signaling showed expression changes in the middle phase (F2/F3), and some genes related to glucose metabolism showed altered expression in the late phase of fibrosis (F3/F4). Therefore, molecular networks showing serial changes in gene expression are present in liver fibrosis progression in hepatitis C patients. CONCLUSION: Analysis of gene expression profiles from a perspective of functional categories or molecular networks provides an understanding of disease and suggests new diagnostic methods. Selected marker genes have potential utility for biological identification of advanced fibrosis.

Non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis:Betweenprediction/prevention of outcomes and cost-effectiveness

The assessment of the fibrotic evolution of chronic hepatitis has always been a challenge for the clinical hepatologist. Over the past decade, various noninvasive methods have been proposed to detect the presence of fibrosis, including the elastometric measure of stiffness, panels of clinical and biochemical parameters, and combinations of both methods. The aim of this review is to analyse the most recent data on non-invasive techniques for the evaluation of hepatic fibrosis with particular attention to costeffectiveness. We searched for relevant studies published in English using the Pub Med database from 2009 to the present. A large number of studies have suggested that elastography and serum markers are useful techniques for diagnosing severe fibrosis and cirrhosis and for excluding significant fibrosis in hepatitis C virus patients. In addition, hepatic stiffness may also help to prognosticate treatment response to antiviral therapy. It has also been shown that magnetic resonance elastography has a high accuracy for staging and differentiating liver fibrosis. Finally, studies have shown that non-invasive methods are becoming increasingly precise in either positively identifying or excluding liver fibrosis, thus reducing the need for liver biopsy. However, both serum markers and transient elastography still have "grey area" values of lower accuracy. In this case, liver biopsy is still required to properly assess liver fibrosis. Recently, the guidelines produced by the World Health Organization have suggested that the AST-to-platelet ratio index or FIB-4 test could be utilised for the evaluation of liver fibrosis rather than other, more expensive non-invasive tests, such as elastography or Fibro Test.

Rosmarinic acid attenuates hepatic fibrogenesis via suppression of hepatic stellate cell activation/proliferation and induction of apoptosis

Objective:To investigate the antifibrotic role of rosmarinic acid(RA),a natural polyphenolic compound,on HSCs activation/proliferation and apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Methods:The impact of RA on stellate cell line(HSC-T6) proliferation,activation and apoptosis was assessed along with its safety on primary hepatocytes. In vivo,rats were divided into:(i) normal;(ii) thioacetamide(TAA)-intoxicated rats for 12 weeks;(iii) TAA+silymarin or(iv) TAA+RA. At the end of experiment,liver functions,oxidative stress,inflammatory and profibrogenic markers,tissue inhibitor metalloproteinases type-1(TIMP-1) and hydroxyproline(HP) levels were evaluated. Additionally,liver histopathology and immunohistochemical examinations of alpha-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA),caspase-3 and proliferation cellular nuclear antigen(PCNA) were determined. Results:RA exhibited anti-proliferative effects on cultured HSCs in a time and concentration dependent manner showing an IC50 of 276 μg/mL and 171 μg/mL for 24 h and 48 h,respectively,with morphological reversion of activated stellate cell morphology to quiescent form. It significantly improved ALT,AST,oxidative stress markers and reduced TIMP-1,HP levels,inflammatory markers and fibrosis score(S1 vs S4). Furthermore,reduction in α-SMA plus elevation in caspase-3 expressions of HSCs in vitro and in vivo associated with an inhibition in proliferation of damaged hepatocytes were recorded. Conclusions:RA impeded the progression of liver fibrosis through inhibition of HSCs activation/proliferation and induction of apoptosis with preservation of hepatic architecture.

Matrix metalloproteases and their tissue inhibitors in non-alcoholic liver fibrosis of human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients

AIM To investigate the relationships among diverse metalloproteases(MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors(TIMPs) and non-alcoholic liver fibrosis in human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)-infected patients.METHODS Single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) in MMPs, TNF-α and CCR5 genes, and serum levels of MMPs and TIMPs were determined in HIV-infected individuals with/out hepatitis C virus(HCV) coinfection. A total of 158 patients were included, 57 of whom were HCVcoinfected. All patients drank < 50 g ethanol/day. Diverse SNPs(MMP-1-1607 1G/2G, MMP-8-799C/T, MMP-9-1562 C/T, MMP-13-77A/G, TNF-α-308 G/A,CCR5-?32), and serum levels of MMPs(2, 3, 8, 9 and 10) and TIMPs(1, 2 and 4) were assessed. Liver fibrosis was determined by transient elastometry, although other non-invasive markers of fibrosis were also considered. Significant liver fibrosis(F ≥ 2) was defined by a transient elastometry value ≥ 7.1 kP a.RESULTS A total of 34 patients(21.5%) had liver fibrosis ≥ F2. MMP-2 and TIMP-2 serum levels were higher in patients with liver fibrosis ≥ F2(P = 0.02 and P = 0.03, respectively) and correlated positively with transient elastometry values(P = 0.02 and P = 0.0009, respectively), whereas MMP-9 values were negatively correlated with transient elastometry measurements(P = 0.01). Multivariate analyses showed that high levels of MMP-2(OR = 2.397; 95%CI: 1.191-4.827, P = 0.014) were independently associated with liver fibrosis ≥ F2 in the patients as a whole. MMP-2(OR = 7.179; 95%CI: 1.210-42.581, P = 0.03) and male gender(OR = 10.040; 95%CI: 1.621-62.11, P = 0.013) were also independent predictors of fibrosis ≥ F2 in the HCV-infected subgroup. Likewise, MMP-2, TIMP-2 and MMP-9 were independently associated with transient elastometry values and other non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis. None of the six SNPs evaluated had any significant association with liver fibrosis ≥ F2.CONCLUSION Certain MMPs and TIMPs, particularly MMP-2, seems to be associated with non-alcoholic liver fibrosis in HIVinfected patients with/without HCV coinfection.

乙肝大小三阳状态、不同HBVDNA载量孕妇肝功能指标水平分析

目的研究探讨乙肝孕妇大三阳和小三阳状态中乙型肝炎病毒(Hepatitis B virus,HBV)DNA载量、肝功能指标、肝纤维化标志物含量及不同HBVDNA载量孕妇的肝功能水平。方法选取临清市人民医院于2020年1月—2023年1月收治的120例乙肝孕妇作为研究对象,根据乙肝两对半检测结果将其分为两组,即大三阳组(n=60)和小三阳组(n=60)。比较两组HBVDNA载量、肝功能指标、肝纤维化标志物含量及不同HBVDNA载量孕妇的肝功能指标、肝纤维化标志物含量。结果大三阳组丙氨酸转移酶水平(29.00±7.62)U/L、HBVDNA水平(5.18±1.16)×10^(4)U/mL均高于小三阳组的(26.00±2.85)U/L、(2.08±1.11)×10^(4)U/mL,差异有统计学意义(t=2.856、14.956,P均<0.05)。大三阳组的重组人几丁质酶3样蛋白1水平低于小三阳组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。伴随着HBVDNA载量上升,两组患者甲胎蛋白水平随之增加,但是在同等HBADNA载量下,两组甲胎蛋白水平比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论开展孕前抗乙肝病毒诊疗、孕期风险系数评估,采取科学有效的干预措施,均能够有效抑制乙肝在母婴中的传播。

HBeAg阴性慢性乙型肝炎中医证型分布及与HBVDNA、肝纤四项关系的研究

目的探讨HBeAg阴性慢性乙型肝炎中医证型分布规律及各证型与实验室指标的关系。方法采用临床流行病学回顾性研究方法，从2008年1月-2009年5月就诊于广东省中医院门诊及住院患者中选取合格研究对象329例，观察其肝功能、HBVDNA、肝纤四项等实验室指标。结果各证型的分布为：肝郁脾虚〉湿热中阻〉肝肾阴虚〉瘀血阻络〉脾肾阳虚。湿热中阻证的血清丙氨酸氨基转移酶（ALT）、天门冬氨酸氨基转移酶（AST）水平明显高于其他证型（P〈0．05）。当HBVDNA〈10^4 copies／mL时，湿热中阻证的频数明显高于其他证型（P〈0．05）；而当10^4≤HBVDNA〈10^7 copies／mL时则相反。湿热中阻证三型前胶原（PCIII）的异常率明显高于肝郁脾虚、肝肾阴虚证，肝肾阴虚证层粘连蛋白（LN）、透明质酸（HA）的异常率及瘀血阻络证HA的异常率均明显高于肝郁脾虚、湿热中阻证（P〈0．05）；而肝郁脾虚证IV型胶原（CIV）的异常率与湿热中阻证差异没有统计学意义（P〉0．05）。结论HBeAg阴性慢性乙型肝炎的中医证型分布具有一定的规律；各证型与转氨酶、HBVDNA、肝纤四项等实验室指标之间有一定的内在关系。