Noninvasive Fibrosis Assessment in Chronic Hepatitis C Infection: An Update

Kristina Bojanic; Mirta Sudaric Bogojevic; Sonja Vukadin; Renata Sikora; Gordana Ivanac; Nikola Raguz Lucic; Martina Smolic; Ashraf A Tabll; George Y Wu; Robert Smolic

doi:10.14218/JCTH.2022.00365

Noninvasive Fibrosis Assessment in Chronic Hepatitis C Infection: An Update

J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2023 Oct 28;11(5):1228-1238. doi: 10.14218/JCTH.2022.00365. Epub 2023 May 11.

Authors

Kristina Bojanic^{1

2

3}, Mirta Sudaric Bogojevic⁴, Sonja Vukadin^{1

2}, Renata Sikora^{1

3}, Gordana Ivanac^{5

6}, Nikola Raguz Lucic^{1

2}, Martina Smolic^{1

2}, Ashraf A Tabll^{7

8}, George Y Wu⁹, Robert Smolic^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia.
² Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia.
³ Health Center Osijek-Baranja County, Osijek, Croatia.
⁴ Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia.
⁵ University Hospital Dubrava, Zagreb, Croatia.
⁶ School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
⁷ Microbial Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
⁸ Egypt Center for Research and Regenerative Medicine (ECRRM), Cairo, Egypt.
⁹ University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA.

Abstract

Liver biopsy is historically the gold standard for liver fibrosis assessment of chronic hepatitis C patients. However, with the introduction and validation of noninvasive tests (NITs) to evaluate advanced fibrosis, and the direct-acting antiviral agents for treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), the role of NITs have become even more complex. There is now need for longitudinal monitoring and elucidation of cutoff values for prediction of liver-related complication after sustained virological response. The aim of this report is to provide a critical overview of the various NITs available for the assessment of liver fibrosis in HCV patients.

Keywords: Fibrosis; Hepatitis C virus; Magnetic resonance elastography; Noninvasive serum fibrosis markers; Shear wave elastography; Steatohepatitis; Transient elastography.

Publication types

Review