Evaluation of apri test as a liver fibrosis marker

Objective: to evaluate the performance of APRI test as an indirect marker of liver fibrosis in patients of FSCMPA with chronic viral hepatitis. Methods: laboratorial and histopathological (META VIR) data of 102 patients were collected with the aim of comparing biopsy reports to test results, considering: FO- F 1 as absent/ insignificant fibrosis and F2-F4 as presence of expressive fibrosis; FO-F3 and F4 as absence and presence ofcirrhosis, respectively. The evaluation was based on the use of simultaneous cut-off points suggested by Wai et ar (2003) and also the development of single cut-off points, through ROC curves,for this sample. Results: the specificities found through the original cut-off points were 96% and 87% for significant fibrosis and cirrhosis, respectively. A superior perforinance was detected for the diagnosis of expressive fibrosis (PPV 90%) and for the exclusion ofliver cirrhosis (NPV 95%). The only advantages accomplished with the use ofthe single cutoffpoints definedfor this study were the classification of all patients and an increase insensibility, which do not justify their applicability. Conclusion: APRI test is able to confirm the existence of significant fibrosis and exclude cirrhosis, what makes it available, as an altemative, in clinical practice.