Abstract: Objective To approach the reliability of virtual tough tissues quantification (VTQ) technology by detecting the quantitative liver shear wave velocity (SWV) in estimating the liver fibrosis and the correlation between the liver shear wave velocity and the other indicators of liver disease. Methods SWV of 165 patients with chronic liver disease and 161 patients of normal controls (NC group) were assayed by VTQ technology. Liver biopsy of 131 patients was carried out. The correlation was analyzed between the SWV and other factors, such as body mass index (BMI), liver function, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio (APRI), platelet (PLT), international normalized ratio of prothrombin (INR), serologic index of liver fibrosis, the grade of liver inflammation (G), and fibrosis stage (S). Results SWV among the pathological stage of S0, S1 in chronic liver disease patients had no significant difference (P = 0.145), Other stages have statistically significant differences: S4 > S3 > S2 > S1 > NC (P < 0.05). SWV between the fibrosis stage of S0 in chronic liver disease patients and NC had no significant difference (P = 1.972). Among the mild fibrosis (S0, S1, S2), severe fibrosis (S3) and cirrhosis (S4) have statistically significant differences (P < 0.05), and they all have statistically significant differences when compared with NC group. The areas under ROC curves were 0.988 (95%CI 0.976-1.000) for S ≥ S3, and 0.989 (95%CI 0.976-1.000) for S = S4. In our study, the optimal cut off value was 1.570 m/s for S ≥ S3, with a sensitivity of 93.1%, specificity of 92.5%; and 1.870 m/s for S = S4, with a sensitivity of 97.7%, specificity of 91.7%. INR, APRI, LN, HA, IV.C, PⅢP, TBil, G and S positively correlated with SWV (P < 0.05), among them, S is highest correlated with SWV; Platelet negatively correlated with SWV (P = 0.000). The lower the platelet level, the higher SWV. While age, gender and BMI had no correlation with SWV (P > 0.05). Conclusions There is a correlation between SWV and liver fibrosis pathology stage and serum index of liver fibrosis, which suggest that SWV might be used for evaluating the liver fibrosis stage of patients with chronic liver diseases, and VTQ technology promising have a board in assessment of liver fibrosis.
|