Correlation of srum collagen type IV levels with histo-pathological findings assessed by liver biopsy in hepatitis B carrier with normal liver function test

Song, Myung Jun; Kim, Kyoung Gon; Shin, Yo Sig; Hwang, Nam Cheol; Park, Sang Joon; Kim, Yun Kwon; Kim, So Yon; Kim, Young Jung; Cho, Min Koo; Lee, Gwon Jun

Abstract

BACKGROUND: We compared the results of liver biopsy and the levels of serum type IV collagen of the hepatitis B carriers with normal liver function test (LFT) to evaluate the clinical usefulness of serum type IV collagen in predicting the progression of histopathological findings.
METHODS
: Thirty one chronic hepatitis B carriers with normal LFT and no significant clinical symptoms, who were Korean combat police, were classified into three groups according to their histologic results of the liver biopsies. The classification followed the standard proposed by Korean Society of Pathology. Blood samplings for serum type IVcollagen (reference : less than 5 ng/mL) were done in the morning of the same day of the liver biopsy.
RESULTS
Of thirty one patients, thirteen patients showed normal histologic findings (41.9%, Group A), eleven patients revealed histologic abnormalities without fibrosis (35.5%, Group B) and seven patients were with fibrosis on liver biopsy (22.6%, Group C). Serum type IV collagen levels of Group A, B and C were 3.53 +/- .57 ng/mL, 3.56 +/- .17 ng/mL and 3.97 +/- .88 ng/mL, respectively. The average of serum type IV collagen levels of Group C was higher than of Group B and the average of Group B higher than that of Group A without any statistical significance (p > 0.05). The averages of serum type IV collagen of eighteen patients with histologic abnormalities (Group B and C) and twenty four patients without fibrosis (Group A and B) were 3.73 +/- 1.06 ng/mL and 3.55 +/- .88 ng/mL respectively. Upon comparison of these averages with the those of Group A and C, no statistical significance was established (p > 0.05).
CONCLUSION
: In chronic hepatitis B carriers with normal LFT findings, levels of serum type IV collagen were elevated along with histologic severities without statistical significance, therefore can not represent the changing degree of the histologic findings. Liver biopsy is considered to be one of the most accurate tool to assess the histologic status of the liver.