Liver stiffness assessed by transient elastography in patients with β thalassaemia major

• Main Authors: Giovanna Ferraioli, Raffaella Lissandrin, Carmine Tinelli, Luigia Scudeller, Federico Bonetti, Mabel Zicchetti, Filomena Longo, Mauro Murgia, Stefano Bernuzzi, Marco Zecca, Paolo Casula, Antonio Piga, Carlo Filice
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2016-05-01
• Series: Annals of Hepatology
• Subjects: Sonoelastography; Magnetic resonance imaging; Superconductive quantum interference device; Liver fibrosis
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S166526811930660X

Rationale for the study. This cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted to investigate any difference in liver stiffness measurements (LSM), evaluated by transient elastography, between patients affected by β thalassaemia major, with and without hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and healthy blood donors (controls). Secondary aim was to assess any correlation between transient elastography and serum ferritin, liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2* or superconductive quantum interference device (SQUID) liver susceptometry values.Materials and methods. The study involved three centers. Transient elastography and MRI T2* examinations were performed in all centers. SQUID liver susceptometry was performed in center1 and center2. T-test for independent data or Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyse differences between two groups. Univariate Pearson’s rcoefficient was used to test correlations between liver stiffness measurements and all other variables.Results. In a study with 119 patients and 183 controls, patients who had never been infected with HCV showed significantly higher LSMs than controls [5.7 (95% CI, 5.2-6.2) kPa vs. 4.3 (95% CI, 4.1-4.4) kPa, p < 0.0001]. A moderate correlation between LSMs and ferritin values, adjusted for gender and age, was found in patients (r = 0.49, p < 0.0001) but not in controls (r = -0.22, p = 0.6). No correlation between LSMs and MRI T2* or SQUID liver susceptometry values was observed. In conclusion, compared to controls β thalassaemia major patients had a significant increase in LSMs independently from HCV infection.