2019 Volume 25 Issue 4 Pages 224-229
Aim: To clarify clinical factors associated with liver steatosis and stiffness evaluated using transient elastography in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD).
Methods: Subjects were eighty patients with NAFLD receiving evaluation using FibroScan® every year at least for 2 times. A XL probe was used in patients manifesting distances between the skin and liver capsule of 20 mm or more. Patients were diagnosed as having liver steatosis when the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) value was calculated as 232 dB/m or more, while were defined as having liver fibrosis when liver stiffness (LS) was shown to be 7.9 kPa or more.
Results: Mean age of patients was 64 years old, and diabetes mellitus was underlaied in 30 patients. Transient elastography revealed that mean CAP and LS values were 280 dB/m and 8.5 kPa, respectively. CAP values were improved in 19 patients (24%) under mean observation period of 2.7 years, while were unchanged and aggravated in 46 patients (57%) and 14 patients (19%), respectively. Also, LS values were improved in 11 patients (14%), while were unchanged and aggravated in 61 patients (76%) and 8 patients (10%), respectively. According to multivariate regression analysis, the changes in CAP values were significantly correlated with those of body weight (BW) (p＜0.001), while the changes in LS values with those of AST, ALT and CAP values (p＜0.001, p＜0.001 and p＜0.05, respectively).
Conclusion: CAP values obtained by transient elastography examination were useful to predict the outcome of patients with NAFLD when evaluated in combination with body weight and AST and ALT values.
