SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY OF HYALURONIC ACID, DE RITIS COEFFICIENT AND VASCULOENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR DETERMINATION FOR DIAGNOSIS OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS AND HEPATIC CIRRHOSIS

Aim. To compare the possibilities of using blood hyaluronic acid (HA), de Ritis coefficient and vasculoendothelial growth factor (VEGF) determination for diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis and hepatic cirrhosis. Materials and methods. Blood serum HA, aspartic transaminase/ alanine transaminase (AST/ALT) ratio, VEGF were determined in 100 patients with chronic hepatits C and 50 patients with hepatic cirrhosis at the outcome of hepatitis C. The control group included 34 persons. Results. While carrying out correlation analysis, reliable correlations between both direct fibrosis marker – HA and indirect test – de Ritis coefficient and VEGF were revealed. The sensitivity of HA determination for diagnosis of cirrhosis with the concentration higher than 100 ng/ml is 100%, specificity – 80%, negative prognostic value for exclusion of HC – 1,0. The AST/ALT ratio demonstrates 96% sensitivity with the point of division 1,5, specificity – 69%, negative prognostic value – 0,76. The test sensitivity of VEGF determination for differential diagnosis of cirrhosis and hepatitis with the point of division 312,3 pg/ml is 90%, specificity – 80%, efficiency – 84%, negative prognostic value for exclusion of HC – 0,89. Conclusion. Determination of VEGF concentration can be used for differential diagnosis of hepatic cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis as an indirect hepatic fibrosis marker since efficiency of this test somewhat yields to HA and exceeds AST/ALT ratio.

Hyaluronic acid, de Ritis coefficient, vasculoendothelial growth factor, chronic hepatitis, hepatic cirrhosis