The accuracy of the FIB-4 index for the diagnosis of mild fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B.

Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics

Mallet V, Dhalluin-Venier V, Roussin C, Bourliere M, Pettinelli ME, Giry C, Vallet-Pichard A, Fontaine H, Pol S

2009 Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. Volume 29 Issue 4

PubMed 19035983 DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2008.03895.x

FibroTest Reliability Independant Team vs. Biopsy vs. Biomarkers HBV Fibrosis

BACKGROUND

The Fib-4 index is a simple and inexpensive biomarker to delineate liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.

AIM

To assess the accuracy of the FIB-4 index in chronic hepatitis B.

METHODS

We compared the FIB-4 index with 138 synchronous liver biopsies and with 372 synchronous FibroTest performed either in France or in an endemic area (Mayotte, an overseas collectivity of France).

RESULTS

The FIB-4 index allowed the correct identification of patients with nil-to-moderate fibrosis with an area under the receiving operating characteristic curve of 0.81 (P < 0.001), increasing as a function of the length of the liver biopsy (up to 0.94 for liver biopsies >or=20 mm). A cut-off value

CONCLUSION

The FIB-4 index is a simple, accurate and inexpensive method to exclude significant liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B, a major advantage in HBV-endemic developing countries.


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