Assessment of hepatic fibrosis regression by transient elastography in patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with oral antiviral agents.

This study was performed to assess the change of LSM by TE and to assess its clinical usefulness during long-term oral antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We retrospectively reviewed 83 CHB patients. The mean interval between two LSM was 411.5 ± 149.5 days. Initial and follow-up LSM was 16.15 ± 12.41 kPa and 11.26 ± 7.36 kPa, respectively (P < 0.001). The degree of regression of liver stiffness was -2.03 ± 0.36% per month. The fibrosis stage classified by LSM value improved in 37 (44.6%) patients during oral antiviral therapy. Of the 30 (36.1%) patients with LSM ≥ 14.1 kPa (cirrhosis) at 1st LSM, 12 (40%) proved to no longer have cirrhosis (≥ 1 decrease in fibrosis stage) at 2nd LSM. LSM significantly decreased in both baseline high (> upper limit of normal [ULN] × 2) and low (≤ ULN × 2) alanine aminotransferase groups during antiviral therapy (P < 0.001; P = 0.001, respectively). Long-term oral antiviral therapy resulted in the improvement of liver stiffness in a substantial portion of patients with CHB. TE may be used a useful clinical tool to assess disease progression in CHB patients. PMID: 24753706 [PubMed - in process]
Source: J Korean Med Sci - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: J Korean Med Sci Source Type: research