Predictive performance of eLIFT for liver inflammation and fibrosis in chronic liver diseases

Int J Med Sci. 2021 Aug 27;18(15):3599-3608. doi: 10.7150/ijms.62386. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Objective: The easy liver fibrosis test (eLIFT) is a novel predictor of liver fibrosis in chronic liver disease (CLD). This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the eLIFT for liver inflammation and fibrosis in CLD patients. Methods: We enrolled 1125 patients with CLD who underwent liver biopsy. The predictive accuracy for liver inflammation and fibrosis of the eLIFT was assessed and compared to that of the aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis-4 score (FIB-4), and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-to-platelet ratio (GPR) by ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: The areas under the ROC curves (AUROCs) of the eLIFT for assessing liver inflammation G ≥ 2 and G ≥ 3 were 0.77 (0.75-0.80) and 0.81 (0.79-0.84), with cut-offs of 8.0 and 11.0, respectively. The AUROCs of the eLIFT for predicting fibrosis stages S ≥ 2 and S4 were 0.72 (0.70-0.76) and 0.76 (0.72-0.80), with cut-offs of 9.0 and 10.0, respectively. In discriminating G≥2 inflammation, the AUROC of the eLIFT was better than that of the FIB-4, with no difference compared with the GPR, but lower than that of the APRI. When discriminating G≥3 inflammation, the AUROC of the eLIFT was comparable to that of the APRI and GPR but superior to that of the FIB-4. There were no significant differences between the four indexes for predicting S≥2 and S4. Conclusion: The eLIFT is a potentially useful noninvasive predictor of liver inflammation and fibrosis in patients with CLD.

Keywords: GPR; chronic liver disease; eLIFT; liver fibrosis.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Blood Platelets / metabolism
  • End Stage Liver Disease / diagnosis*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Inflammation
  • Liver Function Tests / methods
  • Liver Function Tests / standards*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • ROC Curve
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Severity of Illness Index*
  • gamma-Glutamyltransferase / blood

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • gamma-Glutamyltransferase