Aim: To explore the predictive value of plasma YAP1 for esophageal varices (EV) and high-risk EV (HRV) in patients with liver cirrhosis. Materials & methods: A total of 208 patients with liver cirrhosis were enrolled and categorized into four groups. Correlation analysis, logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of plasma YAP1 for EV and HRV. Results: Plasma YAP1 levels were significantly elevated with the occurrence and progression of EV in cirrhotic patients. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that plasma YAP1 is an independent predictor for EV and HRV. For predicting EV and HRV, the YAP1 cut-off values of 5.43 and 6.98 ng/ml yielded the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of 0.944 and 0.955, respectively. Conclusion: Plasma YAP1 is a potential novel noninvasive biomarker for predicting EV and HRV in patients with liver cirrhosis.
Keywords: esophageal varices; high-risk esophageal varices; liver cirrhosis; noninvasive biomarker; yes-associated protein 1.