Real-time shear wave elastography combined with biochemical indicators for evaluating liver injury in patients with chronic kidney disease

Objective To observe the value of real-time shear wave elastography(SWE)combined with biochemical indicators for evaluating liver injury in patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD).Methods Totally 210 patients with CKD(CKD group)and 64 healthy subjects(control group)were retrospectively enrolled.Patients in CKD group were further divided into CKD1—5 subgroups according to CKD stages.SWE parameters of liver and kidney,including mean value,the maximum value and the median value of Young's modulus(EQI mean,EQI max and EQI med)were compared between CKD subgroups and control group.Spearman correlation analysis were performed to explore the correlations of liver and kidney SWE parameters with CKD stage,as well as of liver SWE parameters with biochemical indicators.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to screen independent predictors of liver injury in CKD patients.Receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn,the area under the curves(AUC)were calculated to evaluate the efficacy of the independent predictors alone and their combination for assessing liver injury in CKD patients.Results Significant differences of liver and kidney SWE parameters were found among CKD subgroups and control group(all P≤0.001).Pairwise comparison showed that liver SWE parameters in CKD5 subgroup and liver EQI max in CKD4 subgroup were all higher than those in control group(all P<0.003).Kidney SWE parameters in CKD3 subgroup were all higher than those in control group,while in CKD4 subgroup were all higher than those in control group and CKD1—3 subgroup(all P<0.003).Kidney EQI mean and EQI med in CKD5 subgroup were all higher than those in control group and CKD1—4 subgroup,while kidney EQI max in CKD5 subgroup were higher than those in control group and CKD1—3 subgroup(all P<0.003).Liver and kidney SWE parameters were lowly-moderately and positively correlated with CKD stages(r=0.364—0.665,all P<0.001).Liver SWE parameters of CKD were weakly and positively correlated with alkaline phosphatase(ALP)(r=0.229—0.248,all P<0.01).Theγ-glutamyl transferase,ALP and liver EQI max were all independent predictors of liver injury in CKD patients(all P<0.01),with AUC for evaluating liver injury in CKD patients alone of 0.645,0.756 and 0.741,respectively,lower than that of their combination(0.851,all P<0.01).Conclusion Real-time SWE combined with liver function indicators could reflect degree of liver injury in patients with different CKD stages.

Long-term results of liver transplantation for over 60 years old patients with hepatitis B virus-related end-stage liver disease

BACKGROUND： Hepatitis B virus（HBV）-related end-stage liver disease is the leading indication for liver transplantation in China, but long-term results of liver transplantation in patients aged over 60 years are not clear. The present study was to reveal the natural history of liver recipients with hepatitis B older than60 years.METHODS： The recipients who had received liver transplantation between December 2003 and December 2005 were divided into two groups： those equal or older than 60 years（older group,n60） and those younger than 60 years（younger group, n305）.Risk factors for poor long-term outcome in patients aged over 60 years were also analyzed.RESULTS： Except for age and preexisting chronic disease（P0.05）,no significant differences were observed in perioperative characteristics between the two groups. There was also no significant difference in HBV and hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence（P0.05）. The actuarial 1-, 3-, 5- and 8-year survival rates were 81.6%, 71.6%, 66.7% and 63.3% respectively for the older group vs 84.9%, 77.7%, 70.8% and 65.6% for the younger group（P0.05）. Multivariate analyses showed that pre-liver transplant renal insufficiency was a risk factor for poor outcome in the older group（odds ratio=3.615, P0.014）.CONCLUSIONS： Liver transplantation is safe and feasible for patients with HBV-related end-stage liver disease aged over 60years. Older patients with renal insufficiency should undergo transplantation earlier than younger patients.