CAN ANGIOPOIETIN-1 DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN SIGNIFICANT AND NON-SIGNIFICANT FIBROSIS IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS C PATIENTS?

Gamal E. Shiha*, EL-Shahat A. Toson, Ahmed E. Amin, Reham E. Soliman and Mohamed T. Ali

ABSTRACT

Background: The assessment of liver fibrosis by non-invasive methods is clinically important where hepatitis C virus (HCV) is common in Egypt. The aim is to assess the ability of Angiopoietin-1(Ang-1) as a direct marker to differentiate between significant and non-significant fibrosis Method: Blood samples were collected from 120 CHC patients (F0-F4). Ang-1 serum levels were assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, HCV RNA and HCV antibodies, liver function tests and platelet counts; beside, liver biopsy were evaluated. The numerical value of the AAR was calculated. Then, the diagnostic performance of Ang-1 was compared with the latter score; at their original cut-off. Results: Ang-1 can efficiently differentiate patients with non-significant (F0, F1) from those with significant fibrosis (F2–F4) with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and of AUC of 89, 91, 89, 91 and 0.919, respectively. Conclusions: Ang-1 can help in assessing hepatic fibrosis and superior to AAR score in discriminating the stages of the liver disorders in CHC Egyptian patients.

Keywords: Angiopoietin-1, diagnostic performance, Liver fibrosis, Hepatitis C virus.