Clin Mol Hepatol.  2014 Dec;20(4):347-354. 10.3350/cmh.2014.20.4.347.

Serum transferrin as a liver fibrosis biomarker in patients with chronic hepatitis B

• Cho HJ
• Kim SS
• Ahn SJ
• Park JH
• Kim DJ
• Kim YB
• Cho SW
• Cheong JY

• KMID: 2070252
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3350/cmh.2014.20.4.347

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Transferrin and alpha-1 antitrypsin are reportedly associated with liver fibrosis. We evaluated the usefulness of serum transferrin and alpha-1 antitrypsin as new liver fibrosis markers in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
METHODS
The study included 293 patients with chronic hepatitis B who underwent a liver biopsy between October 2005 and June 2009, and who had no history of hepatocellular carcinoma. Serum markers and liver fibrosis stages were compared.
RESULTS
Univariate analysis revealed that age (P<0.001), serum platelet count (P<0.001), and serum alkaline phosphatase level (P=0.003) differed significantly between the patients with and without liver cirrhosis. Serum transferrin levels were significantly lower in advanced fibrosis than in mild fibrosis in both univariate analysis (P=0.002) and multivariate analysis (P=0.009). In addition, the serum transferrin level was significantly lower in cirrhotic patients than in noncirrhotic patients (P=0.020). However, the serum level of alpha-1 antitrypsin was not significantly associated with liver cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
CONCLUSIONS
Serum transferrin could be promising serum marker for predicting advanced liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Keyword

Chronic hepatitis B; Liver cirrhosis; Transferrin; Alpha-1 antitrypsin

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Area Under Curve
Biological Markers/blood
Female
Hepatitis B, Chronic/complications/*diagnosis/pathology
Humans
Liver Cirrhosis/complications/*diagnosis
Male
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
ROC Curve
Retrospective Studies
Transferrins/*blood
Young Adult
alpha 1-Antitrypsin/blood
Biological Markers
Transferrins
alpha 1-Antitrypsin