Role of serum M2BPGi levels in diagnosing significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background and aim: Mac-2-binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) is a novel serum diagnostic marker for liver fibrosis in various liver diseases. We aimed to evaluate its role in assessment of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) with reference to liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by transient elastography (Fibroscan). Design and Methods: A case control study. 50 CHB patients with LSM by transient elastography technology and retrievable serum samples and 20 normal volunteers as a control group were recruited. Results: 50 CHB patients (M: F = 30:20; mean age 43years 6 10.58) and 20 normal control volunteers (M: F= 12:8; mean age 37years 614.5) were recruited. The mean M2BPGi values for control group, F0-F1, F2, F3 and F4 progressively increased with more advanced stages of liver fibrosis: 0.282, 0.719, 1.322, 1.65 and 1.904 COI, respectively (p <0.001). M2BPGi levels correlated well with liver stiffness (r =0.911) and moderately with FIB-4 (r =0.682), and with APRI (r =0.536) (all p <0.001). Using cut-off values of 0.455, 1.02, 1.16, 1.66 and 1.71COI for control, F0-F1, F2, F3 and F4 groups, respectively, the AUROCs were 0.996, 0.996, 0.691, 0.794 and 1.00 for control, F0-F1, F2, F3 and F4 groups, respectively. There was a statistically significant but with weak positive correlation between M2BPGi serum level and INR (r = 0.333, p =0.018). And there was a statistically significant but with weak negative correlation between M2BPGi serum level and platelet count (r =-0.41, p =0.003) and HBV DNA (r =-0.373, p =0.008). There was a statistically significance between M2BPGi serum level and the history of varices (p =0.023) Conclusions: WFAþ-M2BP is an accurate serum indicator for assessing different stages of liver fibrosis. WFAþ-M2BP provides a simple and reliable alternative or complementary method to liver biopsy and FibroScan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]