Use of noninvasive markers to predict advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis in severe obesity

Abstract

Background: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is observed in 25%-55% of patients with severe obesity and in 2%-12% with bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis. There is currently no noninvasive test for the diagnosis of severe liver fibrosis before bariatric surgery.

Objectives: To determine the best noninvasive test for predicting advanced liver disease in patients with severe obesity.

Setting: University tertiary care hospital, Brazil.

Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted with 699 patients with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery: 568 without a biopsy (nonbiopsy cohort) and 131 patients who had undergone an intraoperative liver biopsy. The tissues were subjected to histologic diagnosis (Brunt criteria) and classified as advanced fibrosis (stages 3 and 4) or no significant fibrosis (absence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and stages 1 or 2). The following predictive indices of cirrhosis were calculated in all patients: aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio (AAR), age-platelet (AP) index, aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), cirrhosis discriminant score (CDS), and hepatitis C antiviral long-term treatment against cirrhosis (HALT-C). The cutoff values, sensitivity, specificity, and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) were calculated for patients with biopsies.

Results: The AUROC of the AAR, AP, APRI, CDS, and HALT-C model for predicting advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis were, respectively, .522, .88, .99, .905, and .921. The calculated cutoff values, sensitivity, and specificity, respectively, were as follows: AAR: .94, .7, .45; AP 5, .7, .93; APRI .44, 1.0, .97; CDS 6, .7, .97; and HALT-C: .76, 1.0, .77.

Conclusion: APRI index was the best predictor of advanced liver disease in patients with severe obesity.

Keywords: APRI index; CDC; HALT-C; Liver cirrhosis; Severe obesity.