Spleen stiffness mirrors changes in portal hypertension after successful interferon-free therapy in chronic-hepatitis C virus patients

Non-invasive tools for compensated advanced chronic liver disease and portal hypertension after Baveno VII - an update

Non-invasive tests (NITs) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in particular, have entered clinical practice over 20 years ago as point-of-care tests to diagnose liver fibrosis in patients with compensated chronic liver disease. Since then, NITs use has evolved thanks to a large number of studies in all major etiologies of liver disease, and they have become important tools to stratify the risk of portal hypertension and liver-related events. The Baveno VII consensus workshop provided several novel recommendations regarding the use of well-established and novel NITs in the specific setting of portal hypertension screening, diagnosis and follow-up. The Baveno VII expert panels paid special attention to summarizing the existing data into simple clinical rules able to guide clinicians in their practice. The "rule of five" for LSM is a tool to stratify the risk of liver-related events, and LSM alone or in combination with platelet count, can be used now to rule-in and rule-out compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) and clinically significant portal hypertension, as well as to rule-out high-risk varices. Use of NITs in obese subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and patients with viral hepatitis C that has been successfully treated, require specific knowledge. This review will update the reader on these aspects.

Bibliometric-analysis visualization and review of non-invasive methods for monitoring and managing the portal hypertension

Background

Portal hypertension monitoring is important throughout the natural course of cirrhosis. Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), regarded as the golden standard, is limited by invasiveness and technical difficulties. Portal hypertension is increasingly being assessed non-invasively, and hematological indices, imaging data, and statistical or computational models are studied to surrogate HVPG. This paper discusses the existing non-invasive methods based on measurement principles and reviews the methodological developments in the last 20 years.

Methods

First, we used VOSviewer to learn the architecture of this field. The publications about the non-invasive assessment of portal hypertension were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). VOSviewer 1.6.17.0 was used to analyze and visualize these publications, including the annual trend, the study hotspots, the significant articles, authors, journals, and organizations in this field. Next, according to the cluster analysis result of the keywords, we further retrieved and classified the related studies to discuss.

Results

A total of 1,088 articles or review articles about our topic were retrieved from WoSCC. From 2000 to 2022, the number of publications is generally growing. “World Journal of Gastroenterology” published the most articles (n = 43), while “Journal of Hepatology” had the highest citations. “Liver fibrosis” published in 2005 was the most influential manuscript. Among the 20,558 cited references of 1,088 retrieved manuscripts, the most cited was a study on liver stiffness measurement from 2007. The highest-yielding country was the United States, followed by China and Italy. “Berzigotti, Annalisa” was the most prolific author and had the most cooperation partners. Four study directions emerged from the keyword clustering: (1) the evaluation based on fibrosis; (2) the evaluation based on hemodynamic factors; (3) the evaluation through elastography; and (4) the evaluation of variceal bleeding.

Conclusion

The non-invasive assessment of portal hypertension is mainly based on two principles: fibrosis and hemodynamics. Liver fibrosis is the major initiator of cirrhotic PH, while hemodynamic factors reflect secondary alteration of splanchnic blood flow. Blood tests, US (including DUS and CEUS), CT, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) support the non-invasive assessment of PH by providing both hemodynamic and fibrotic information. Elastography, mainly USE, is the most important method of PH monitoring.

Combined Liver Stiffness and Α-fetoprotein Further beyond the Sustained Virologic Response Visit as Predictors of Long-Term Liver-Related Events in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C

AIMS

Long-term risk stratification using combined liver stiffness (LS) and clinically relevant blood tests acquired at the baseline further beyond the sustained virologic response (SVR) visit for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has not been thoroughly investigated. This study retrospectively investigated the prognostics of liver-related events (LREs) further beyond the SVR visit.

METHODS

Cox regression and random forest models identified the key factors, including longitudinal LS and noninvasive test results, that could predict LREs, including hepatocellular carcinoma, during prespecified follow-ups from 2010 to 2021. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis estimated the significance of between-group risk stratification.

RESULTS

Of the entire eligible cohort (n = 520) of CHC patients with SVR to antiviral therapy, 28 (5.4%) patients developed post-SVR LREs over a median follow-up period of 6.1 years (interquartile range = 3.5-8.7). The multivariate Cox regression analysis identified two significant predictors of LREs after the year 3 post-SVR (Y3PSVR) baseline (LRE, n = 15 of 28, 53.6%, median follow-up = 4.1 [1.6-6.4] years after Y3PSVR): LS at Y3PSVR (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 3.980, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.085-7.597, P < 0.001), and α-fetoprotein (AFP) at Y3PSVR (aHR = 1.017, 95% CI = 1.001-1.034, P=0.034). LS ≥1.45 m/s and AFP ≥3.00 ng/mL for Y3PSVR yielded positive likelihood ratios of 4.24 and 2.62, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that among the stratified subgroups, the subgroup with concurrent LS ≥1.45 m/s and AFP ≥3.00 ng/mL at Y3PSVR exhibited the highest risk of LREs after Y3PSVR (log-rank P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

We recommend the combined use of concurrent LS and AFP in future prediction models for LREs in CHC. Patients with concurrently high LS and AFP values further beyond the SVR visit may require a recall policy involving intense surveillance.

Spleen Stiffness Measurements Predict the Risk of Hepatic Decompensation After Direct-Acting Antivirals in HCV Cirrhotic Patients

PURPOSE

Little evidence is available regarding the risk of hepatic decompensation (HD) after direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in patients with advanced chronic liver disease. Our aim was to assess the risk of decompensation and the prognostic role of noninvasive tests, such as liver (LSM) and spleen (SSM) stiffness measurements, in the prediction of decompensation after sustained virologic response (SVR) by DAAs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cohort study involving 146 cirrhotic patients treated with DAAs in our tertiary center with LSM and SSM available both before and six months after treatment (SVR24). A historical cohort of 92 consecutive cirrhotic patients with active HCV was used as a control group. A propensity score inverse probability weighting method was used to account for differences between the groups. Time-dependent models for the prediction of decompensation were applied to account for changes in noninvasive tests after therapy.

RESULTS

The decompensation incidence in the DAA cohort was 7.07 (4.56-10.96) per 100 person-years (PYs), which was significantly lower than in the active HCV cohort. The DAA therapy was an independent protective factor for HD development (SHR: 0.071, 95 %-CI: 0.015-0.332). SSM ≥ 54 kPa was independently associated with decompensation despite SVR achievement (SHR: 4.169, 95 %-CI: 1.050-16.559), alongside with a history of decompensation (SHR: 7.956, 95 %-CI: 2.556-24.762). SSM reduction < 10 % also predicted the risk of decompensation after SVR24.

CONCLUSION

The risk of decompensation was markedly reduced after DAA therapy, but it was not eliminated. Paired SSM values stratified the risk of decompensation after SVR better than other noninvasive tests.

Liver and Spleen Stiffness Surveillance Through Elastography During and After Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C

OBJECTIVES

Direct-acting antiviral agents achieve a high cure rate, resulting in early hepatic necroinflammatory resolution and sustained fibrosis regression. This study aimed to obtain longitudinal, concurrent within-subject measurements of liver stiffness (LS) and spleen stiffness (SS) and their correlates over time.

METHODS

Participants with hepatitis C (n = 592) receiving direct-acting antiviral-based therapy were monitored through point shear-wave elastography from the treatment baseline (TW0) across follow-up visits in terms of LS and SS.

RESULTS

Generalized linear mixed modeling indicated that all LS values (2301 visits) were negatively correlated with the follow-up times (all P < .05) from TW0 to 24 weeks (PW24) after the end of treatment (EOT) and positively correlated with baseline LS values (P < .001). The slopes of declines (preceding minus next) differed significantly (P < .001) between TW0-TW4 (treatment week 4) (0.060 [-0.050 to 0.225] meter/second/month [m/s/mo]) and TW4-EOT (0.010 [-0.030 to 0.075] m/s/mo). All SS values (1704 visits) were negatively correlated with time only at PW24 (P < .001) and positively correlated with baseline SS values (P < .001). The slopes of the SS values differed significantly (P < .001) only between EOT-PW12 (-0.010 [-0.110 to 0.083] m/s/mo) and PW12-PW24 (0.043 [-0.063 to 0.160] m/s/mo).

CONCLUSIONS

The biphasic fast-to-slow decline in LS occurred early in the on-treatment phase, which is consistent with the resolution of hepatic necroinflammation. The slow-to-fast decline in SS occurred off treatment. Future studies should investigate the association with regressions in liver fibrosis and portal hypertension.

The Value of Liver and Spleen Stiffness for Evaluation of Portal Hypertension in Compensated Cirrhosis

Patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease who develop clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are at high risk for hepatic decompensation and mortality if left untreated. Liver biopsy and hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurements are the current gold standard procedures for determining fibrosis severity and diagnosing CSPH, respectively; however, both are invasive, limiting their use in clinical practice and larger trials of novel agents. As such, there is an unmet clinical need for reliable, validated, noninvasive measures to detect CSPH and to further assess portal hypertension (PH) severity. Alterations in the biomechanical properties of the liver or spleen in patients with cirrhosis can be quantified by tissue elastography, which examines the elastic behavior of tissue after a force has been applied. A variety of methods are available, including magnetic resonance elastography, shear-wave elastography, and the most thoroughly investigated measure, vibration-controlled transient elastography. Liver stiffness (LS) and spleen stiffness (SS) measurements offer valuable alternatives to detect and monitor CSPH. Both LS and SS correlate well with HVPG, with thresholds of LS >20-25 kPa and SS >40-45 kPa indicating a high likelihood of CSPH. Because SS is a direct and dynamic surrogate of portal pressure, it has the potential to monitor PH severity and assess PH improvement as a surrogate marker for clinical outcomes. Importantly, SS seems to be superior to LS for monitoring treatment response in clinical trials focusing on reducing PH.

Sarcopenia Predicts Major Complications after Resection for Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Compensated Cirrhosis

Simple Summary

Sarcopenia, which is defined as a loss of skeletal muscle mass, function and strength, is the result of major metabolic changes often observed in advanced liver disease. Its evaluation mirrors the nutritional and functional status of the patients, and thus has been recently implicated as an outcome predictor of patients with liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma. This study provides evidence that sarcopenia, as assessed by the skeletal muscle index, is associated with age and body mass index in liver surgery candidates. More importantly, it is associated with higher rates of major complications (Clavien-Dindo grade III or IV) in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease and/or portal hypertension undergoing liver resection for primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract

The burden of post-operative complications of patients undergoing liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a cause of morbidity and mortality. Recently, sarcopenia has been reported to influence the outcome of patients with cirrhosis. We aimed to assess factors associated with sarcopenia and its prognostic role in liver surgery candidates. We included all patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) undergoing liver resection for primary HCC consecutively referred to the University of Bologna from 2014 to 2019 with an available preoperative abdominal CT-scan performed within the previous three months. A total of 159 patients were included. The median age was 68 years, and 80.5% of the patients were male. Sarcopenia was present in 82 patients (51.6%). Age and body mass index (BMI) were associated with the presence of sarcopenia at multivariate analysis. Thirteen (8.2%) patients developed major complications and 14 (8.9%) presented PHLF grade B-C. The model for end-stage liver disease score was associated with the development of major complications, whereas cACLD presence, thrombocytopenia, portal hypertension (PH), Child-Pugh score and Albumin-Bilirubin score were found to be predictors of clinically significative PHLF. The rate of major complications was 11.8% in sarcopenic patients with cACLD compared with no complications (0%) in patients without sarcopenia and cACLD (p = 0.032). The rate of major complications was significantly higher in patients with (16.3%) vs. patients without (0%) sarcopenia (p = 0.012) in patients with PH. In conclusion, sarcopenia, which is associated with age and BMI, may improve the risk stratification of post-hepatectomy major complications in patients with cACLD and PH.

Non-invasive assessment of fibrosis regression and portal hypertension in patients with advanced chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated liver disease and sustained virologic response (SVR): 3 years follow-up of a prospective longitudinal study

Long-term effects on cirrhosis and portal hypertension of direct antiviral agent (DAA)-based eradication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) are still under debate. We analysed dynamics of liver and spleen elastography to assess potential regression of cirrhosis and portal hypertension 3 years post-treatment. Fifty-four patients with HCV-associated cirrhosis and DAA-induced SVR were included. Liver and spleen stiffness were measured at baseline (BL), end of treatment (EOT), 24 weeks after EOT (FU24) and 1, 2 and 3 (FU144) years post-treatment by transient liver elastography (L-TE) and point shear wave elastography (pSWE) using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) of the liver (L-ARFI) and spleen (S-ARFI). Biochemical, virological and clinical data were also obtained. Liver stiffness assessed by L-TE decreased between BL [median (range), 32.5(9.1-75) kPa] and EOT [21.3(6.7-73.5) kPa; p < .0001] and EOT and FU144 [16(4.1-75) kPa; p = .006]. L-ARFI values improved between EOT [2.5(1.2-4.1) m/s] and FU144 [1.7(0.9-4.1) m/s; p = .001], while spleen stiffness remained unchanged. Overall, L-TE improved in 38 of 54 (70.4%) patients at EOT and 29 of 38 (76.3%) declined further until FU144, whereas L-ARFI values decreased in 30/54 (55.6%) patients at EOT and continued to decrease in 28/30 (93.3%) patients at FU144. Low bilirubin and high albumin levels at BL were associated with improved L-ARFI values (p = .048) at EOT or regression of cirrhosis (<12.5 kPa) by L-TE at FU144 (p = .005), respectively. Liver stiffness, but not spleen stiffness, continued to decline in a considerable proportion of patients with advanced liver disease after HCV eradication.

Spleen stiffness can be employed to assess the efficacy of spontaneous portosystemic shunts in relieving portal hypertension

INTRODUCTION

Spleen stiffness (SS) has been found to mirror dynamic changes in portal pressure after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement. However, there is no data available regarding SS in patients with spontaneous portosystemic shunting (SPSS), especially in regards to prediction of hepatic decompensation.

METHODS

We retrospectively selected patients with confirmed SPSS and esophageal varices (EVs) at endoscopic examination, and recorded any decompensating event (i.e., variceal hemorrhage, overt hepatic encephalopathy, refractory ascites, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, hepatorenal syndrome) in the first twelve months following liver and spleen elastography.

RESULTS

The patients who presented decompensating events showed lower platelet count (94.5 vs. 121.5 g/L, p < 0.001), higher SS (44 vs. 30 kPa, p < 0.001), higher probability of EVs according to SS (77 vs. 2 %, p < 0.001), and higher spleen diameter (14 vs. 12 cm, p = 0.043). They also showed a higher prevalence of splenorenal shunts (66.7 vs. 31.2%), and a significantly wider SPSS major diameter (14.5 vs. 8 mm, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

SS could predict SPSS efficacy in relieving portal pressure, and could predict decompensating events in patients with SPSS.

Risk of hepatocellular carcinoma after HCV eradication: Determining the role of portal hypertension by measuring spleen stiffness

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) reduces but does not eliminate the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The development of surveillance strategies for HCC after the sustained virologic response (SVR) is therefore warranted. We aimed to evaluate the role of spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) in the prediction of HCC risk in a cohort of patients with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD) treated with DAAs.

METHODS

This is a retrospective cohort study of 140 patients with HCV-related ACLD successfully treated with DAAs in our centre between 2015 and 2017. Patients with available liver stiffness (LSM) and SSM before treatment and 6 months after (SVR24) were included. A Cox regression model investigated the association between SSM and HCC development.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 41.5 (IQR 32-49) months, 20 patients presented with HCC. SSM at SVR24 predicted HCC development in univariate and adjusted multivariate analysis (hazard ratio: 1.025; 95% CI: 1.001-1.050); the best cut-off was 42 kPa. Patients with LSM-SVR24 ≤10 kPa were at the lowest risk of HCC. In patients with LSM-SVR24 >10 kPa, HCC incidence was not further influenced by LSM values (10-20 kPa vs. >20 kPa), but only by SSM-SVR24 values (≤42 vs. >42 kPa).

CONCLUSIONS

Portal hypertension, as evaluated by SSM, plays a significant role in liver carcinogenesis after DAA treatment. We proposed a new algorithm based on post-treatment values of LSM and SSM for the stratification of HCC risk after SVR achievement.

LAY SUMMARY

Spleen stiffness predicts the development of hepatocellular carcinoma after viral eradication, especially in patients with post-treatment liver stiffness values >10 kPa. An algorithm based on liver and spleen stiffness can stratify for the risk of liver cancer development and guide the surveillance strategies after treatment with direct-acting antivirals.

Noninvasive Detection of Clinically Significant Portal Hypertension in Compensated Advanced Chronic Liver Disease

Patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease have different prognoses depending on the presence of portal hypertension. Current non-invasive diagnostic methods allow identification of clinically significant portal hypertension. Portosystemic collaterals on imaging or liver stiffness of more than 20 to 25 kPa by using transient elastography identifies patients with clinically significant portal hypertension. Patients with liver stiffness of less than 20 kPa and platelet count of greater than 150 g/L can avoid endoscopy. This rule could be expanded using spleen stiffness. Methods to risk stratify for portal hypertension in compensated advanced chronic liver disease and successfully treated chronic hepatitis C and B are subject of research.

Baveno VI criteria and spleen stiffness measurement rule out high-risk varices in virally suppressed HBV-related cirrhosis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

There are no data validating the performance of spleen stiffness measurement in ruling out high-risk varices in patients with HBV-related cirrhosis under maintained viral suppression. Thus, we aimed to prospectively validate the performance of spleen stiffness measurement (cut-off 46 kPa) combined with Baveno VI criteria in ruling out high-risk varices in these patients.

METHODS

Patients with cirrhosis were enrolled from April to December 2019 at the hepatology unit of the Nanfang Hospital, China. Liver and spleen transient elastography and esophagogastroduodenoscopy were performed at enrollment. Antiviral regimen(s) and virological responses, evaluated every 3-6 months, were recorded.

RESULTS

Overall 341 patients with HBV-related cirrhosis under maintained viral suppression were enrolled, and the prevalence of high-risk varices was 20.5% (70/341). Baveno VI criteria spared 37.0% (126/341) esophagogastroduodenoscopies and no high-risk varices were missed (0/70). Eight cases of high-risk varices (8/70, 11.4%) were misclassified in patients (208/341, 61.0%) within the expanded Baveno VI criteria. The spleen stiffness measurement cut-off (≤46.0 kPa) was shown to safely rule out high-risk varices in these patients (the percentage of missed high-risk varices was 4.3%). Over half (61.6%, 210/341) of patients met the combined model (Baveno VI criteria and spleen stiffness measurement cut-off ≤46 kPa) and 4.3% (3/70) of high-risk varices cases were misclassified. This combined model exhibited a sensitivity of 95.71%, specificity of 76.38%, negative predictive value of 98.57%, and negative likelihood ratio of 0.06 for ruling out high-risk varices.

CONCLUSIONS

We validated the excellent performance of Baveno VI criteria combined with spleen stiffness measurement (cut-off 46 kPa) for safely ruling out high-risk varices in patients with HBV-related cirrhosis under viral suppression; more than half of esophagogastroduodenoscopy procedures were spared using this combination.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

NCT04123509 LAY SUMMARY: Esophageal varices have important prognostic implications in patients with cirrhosis. Thus, their timely identification is important so that treatment can be initiated early. Herein, we validated the excellent performance of the combination of Baveno VI criteria with spleen stiffness measurement (cut-off 46 kPa) for ruling out high-risk esophageal varices in patients with HBV-related cirrhosis under maintained viral suppression (with antiviral treatment). This combined model was able to safely rule out high-risk varices (missed/total <5%) and over half (61.6%) of esophagogastroduodenoscopy procedures were spared.

Regression of portal hypertension: underlying mechanisms and therapeutic strategies

Portal hypertension is the main non-neoplastic complication of chronic liver disease, being the cause of important life-threatening events including the development of ascites or variceal bleeding. The primary factor in the development of portal hypertension is a pathological increase in the intrahepatic vascular resistance, due to liver microcirculatory dysfunction, which is subsequently aggravated by extra-hepatic vascular disturbances including elevation of portal blood inflow. Evidence from pre-clinical models of cirrhosis has demonstrated that portal hypertension and chronic liver disease can be reversible if the injurious etiological agent is removed and can be further promoted using pharmacological therapy. These important observations have been partially demonstrated in clinical studies. This paper aims at providing an updated review of the currently available data regarding spontaneous and drug-promoted regression of portal hypertension, paying special attention to the clinical evidence. It also considers pathophysiological caveats that highlight the need for caution in establishing a new dogma that human chronic liver disease and portal hypertension is reversible.

Non-invasive splenic parameters of portal hypertension: Assessment and utility

BACKGROUND

Portal hypertension is a major complication of cirrhosis that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The present gold-standard method to risk stratify and observe cirrhosis patients with portal hypertension is hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement or esophagogastroduodenoscopy. However, these methods are invasive, carry a risk of complications and are associated with significant patient discomfort. Therefore, non-invasive splenic parameters are of clinical interest as potential useful markers in determining the presence of portal hypertension. However, diagnostic accuracy and reproducibility remains unvalidated.

AIM

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of spleen stiffness, area and diameter in predicting the presence of portal hypertension.

METHODS

Of 50 patients with varying liver disease pathologies were prospectively recruited from the St. Mary’s Hospital Liver Unit in London; 25 with evidence of portal hypertension and 25 with no evidence of portal hypertension. Liver stiffness, spleen stiffness, spleen diameter and spleen area were measured using the Philips Affiniti 70 elastography point quantification point shear wave elastography system. The aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet-ratio-index (APRI) score was also calculated. Performance measures, univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to evaluate demographic, clinical and elastography variables. Interclass correlation coefficient was used to determine the reproducibility of splenic area and diameter.

RESULTS

On univariate and individual performance, platelet count [area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) 0.846, P value < 0.001], spleen area (AUROC 0.828, P value = 0.002) and APRI score (AUROC 0.827, P value < 0.001) were the most accurate variables in identifying the presence of portal hypertension. On multivariate logistic regression models constructed, the combination of spleen area greater than 57.90 cm² and platelet count less than 126 × 10⁹ had 63.2% sensitivity and 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value and 100% negative predictive value. An alternative combination of spleen stiffness greater than 29.99 kPa and platelet count less than 126 × 10⁹ had 88% sensitivity, 75% specificity, 78.6% positive predictive value and 85.7% negative predictive value. An interclass correlation coefficient value of 0.98 (95%CI: 0.94-0.99, P value < 0.001) and 0.96 (95%CI: 0.91-0.99, P value < 0.001) were determined for inter-operator variability for spleen area and diameter respectively.

CONCLUSION

Spleen area, spleen stiffness and platelet count may be useful markers to assess the presence of portal hypertension in patients of various etiologies.

Noninvasive Diagnostics for Portal Hypertension: A Comprehensive Review

Noninvasive diagnostics for portal hypertension include imaging and functional tests, as well as blood-based biomarkers, and capture different features of the portal hypertensive syndrome. Definitive conclusions regarding their clinical utility require assessment of their diagnostic value in specific clinical settings (i.e., diagnosing a particular hemodynamic condition within a well-defined target population). Several noninvasive methods are predictive of clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH; hepatic venous pressure gradient [HVPG] ≥ 10 mm Hg; the threshold for complications of portal hypertension); however, only a minority of them have been evaluated in compensated advanced chronic liver disease (i.e., the target population). Importantly, most methods correlate only weakly with HVPG at high values (i.e., in patients with CSPH). Nevertheless, selected methods show promise for diagnosing HVPG ≥ 16 mm Hg (the cut-off for increased risks of hepatic decompensation and mortality) and monitoring HVPG changes in response to nonselective beta-blockers or etiological treatments. Finally, we review established and potential future clinical applications of noninvasive methods.

Non-invasive tests for the prediction of primary hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world and it is one of the main complications of cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Even in the presence of a well-established follow-up protocol for cirrhotic patients, to date poor data are available on predictive markers for primary HCC occurrence in the setting of compensated advanced chronic liver disease patients (cACLD). The gold standard method to evaluate the prognosis of patients with cACLD, beyond liver fibrosis assessed with histology, is the measurement of the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). An HVPG ≥10 mmHg has been related to an increased risk of HCC in cACLD patients. However, these methods are burdened by additional costs and risks for patients and are mostly available only in referral centers. In the last decade increasing research has focused on the evaluation of several, simple, non-invasive tests (NITs) as predictors of HCC development. We reviewed the currently available literature on biochemical and ultrasound-based scores developed for the non-invasive evaluation of liver fibrosis and portal hypertension in predicting primary HCC. We found that the most reliable methods to assess HCC risk were the liver stiffness measurement, the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index score and the fibrosis-4 index. Other promising NITs need further investigations and validation for different liver disease aetiologies.

Alanine aminotransferase and spleno-portal dynamics affect spleen stiffness measured by point shear-wave elastography in patients with chronic hepatitis C in the absence of significant liver fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Spleen stiffness (SS) has gained a lot of interest in the context of liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension stratification. However, there is a paucity of data on confounding factors that may alter SS values.

METHODS

Between January 2018 and October 2019, we enrolled 120 healthy subjects and 117 patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who did not have significant liver fibrosis (i.e., F0-1). Abdominal ultrasound evaluation was performed on each individual to measure portal vein diameter, portal flow velocity, spleen bipolar diameter, and splenic area. We also performed liver and spleen elastography.

RESULTS

HCV patients had higher SS (p < 0.001), portal vein diameter (p = 0.031), portal flow velocity (p = 0.035), spleen bipolar diameter (p = 0.042) and area (p = 0.025), and ALT levels (p < 0.001). Linear regression models showed that SS increased by 3.220 kPa for each mm of portal vein diameter, by 0.7 kPa for each cm/s of portal flow velocity, by 2.239 kPa for each cm of spleen bipolar diameter, and by 0.233 kPa for each cm² of spleen area. Patients with HCV infection were stratified according to median ALT levels (i.e. 32 IU/L). SS and spleno-portal axis parameters were significantly higher in patients with an ALT level > 32 IU/L. Besides, the relationship between SS and ALT was described by cubic polynomial regression according to the following equation: 11.735 + 0.404 (ALT)¹ - 0.002 (ALT)² + 4.26 × 10^-6 (ALT)³.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results bring new light to the role of inflammation as a confounding factor for SS measurement. Therefore, particular attention should be paid to serum transaminase for a correct evaluation of spleen elastography.