Article

You have full text access to this OnlineOpen article

The role of liver biopsy in chronic hepatitis C

  1. Jules L. Dienstag M. D.*

Article first published online: 10 FEB 2006

DOI: 10.1002/hep.1840360720

Issue

Hepatology

Hepatology

Supplement: National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference

Volume 36, Issue Supplement 1, pages S152–S160, November 2002

Additional Information

How to Cite

Dienstag, J. L. (2002), The role of liver biopsy in chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology, 36: S152–S160. doi: 10.1002/hep.1840360720

Author Information

  1. Gastrointestinal Unit (Medical Services), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; and the Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

*Gastrointestinal Unit (Jackson 7), Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA 02114. fax: 617-726-3763

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 10 FEB 2006
  2. Article first published online: 10 FEB 2006

Funded by

  • National Institutes of Health. Grant Number: N01-DK-9-2319
  • General Clinical Research Center. Grant Number: M01RR01066

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

Get PDF (1034K)

References

  • 1
    National Institute of Health Consensus Development Conference Panel Statement: Management of hepatitis C. Hepatology 1997; 26: 2S–10S.
    Direct Link:
  • 2
    Perrillo RP. The role of liver biopsy in hepatitis C. Hepatology 1997; 26: 57S–61S.
    Direct Link:
  • 3
    Consensus Statement. EASL international consensus conference on hepatitis C. Paris, February 26–28, 1999. J Hepatol 1999; 30: 956–961.
  • 4
    Booth JCL, O'Grady J, Neuberger J, for the Royal College of Physicians of London, British Society of Gastroenterology. Clinical guidelines on the management of hepatitis C. Gut 2001; 49 (Suppl 1): il–i21.
  • 5
    Centers for Disease Control, United States Public Health Service. Recommendations for prevention and control of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and HCV-related chronic disease. MMWR Morbid Mortal Wkly Rep 1998; 47: 1–39.
  • 6
    Core Working Party, Asia-Pacific Consensus on Hepatitis B and C. Consensus statements on the prevention and management of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in the Asia-Pacific region. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2000; 15: 825–841.
    Direct Link:
  • 7
    Bedossa P, Poynard T, for the French METAVIR Cooperative Study Group. An algorithm for grading activity in chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology 1996; 24: 289–293.
    Direct Link:
  • 8
    The METAVIR cooperative group. Inter- and intra-observer variation in the assessment of liver biopsy of chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology 1994; 20; 1: 15–20.
  • 9
    Brunt EM. Grading and staging the histopathological lesions of chronic hepatitis: The Knodell histology activity index and beyond. Hepatology 2000; 31: 241–246.
    Direct Link:
  • 10
    Knodell RG, Ishak KG, Black WC, Chen TS, Craig R, Kaplowitz N, Kiernan TW, et al. Formulation and application of a numerical scoring system for assessing histological activity in asymptomatic chronic active hepatitis. Hepatology 1981; 1: 431–435.
    Direct Link:
  • 11
    Ishak K, Baptista A, Bianchi L, Callea F, DeGroote J, Gudat F, Denk H, et al. Histological grading and staging of chronic hepatitis. J Hepatol 1995; 22: 696–699.
  • 12
    Poynard T, Ratziu V, Benmanov Y, Di Martino V, Bedossa P, Opolon P. Fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C: Detection and significance. Semin Liver Dis 2000; 20: 47–55.
  • 13
    Wong JB, Koff RS, for the International Hepatitis Interventional Therapy Group. Watchful waiting with periodic liver biopsy versus immediate empirical therapy for histologically mild chronic hepatitis C: a cost-effectiveness analysis. Ann Intern Med 2000; 133: 665–675
  • 14
    Cadranel JF, Rufat P, Degos F. Practices of liver biopsy in France: results of a prospective nationwide survey. For the Group of Epidemiology of the French Association for the Study of the Liver (AFEF). Hepatology 2000; 32: 477–481.
    Direct Link:
  • 15
    Yano M, Kumada H, Hage M, Ikeda K, Shimamatsu K, Inoue O, Hashimoto E, et al. The long-term pathological evolution of chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology 1996; 23: 1334–1340.
    Direct Link:
  • 16
    Poynard T, Bedossa P. Opolon P. Natural history of liver fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Lancer 1997; 349: 825–832.
  • 17
    Fontaine H, Nalpas B, Poulet B, Carnot F, Zylberberg H, Brechot C, Pol S. Hepatitis activity index is a key factor in determining the natural history of chronic hepatitis C. Hum Pathol 2001; 32: 904–909.
  • 18
    Saadeh S, Cammell G, Carey WD, Younossi Z, Barnes D, Easley K. The role of liver biopsy in chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology 2001; 33: 196–200.
    Direct Link:
  • 19
    Adinolfi LE, Gambardella M, Andreana A, Tripodi M-F, Utili R, Ruggiero G. Steatosis accelerates the progression of liver damage of chronic hepatitis C patients and correlates with specific HCV genotype and visceral obesity. Hepatology 2001; 33: 1358–1364.
    Direct Link:
  • 20
    Kaserer K, Fiedler R, Steindl P, Muller CH, Wrba F, Ferenci P. Liver biopsy is a useful predictor of response to interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C. Histopathology 1998; 32: 454–461.
    Direct Link:
  • 21
    Davis GL, Lau JYN. Factors predictive of a beneficial response to therapy of hepatitis C. Hepatology 1997; 26 (Suppl 1): 122S–127S.
    Direct Link:
  • 22
    Poynard T, Marcellin P, Lee SS, Niederau C, Minuk GS, Ideo G, Bain V, et al. Randomised trial of interferon α2b plus ribavirin for 48 weeks or for 24 weeks versus interferon α2b plus placebo for 48 weeks for treatment of chronic infection with hepatitis C virus. International Hepatitis Interventional Therapy Group (IHIT). Lancet 1998; 352: 1426–1432.
  • 23
    Zeuzem S, Feinman SV, Rasenack J, Heathcote J, Lai M-Y, Gane E, O'Grady J, et al. Peginterferon alfa-2a in patients with chronic hepatitis C. N Engl J Med 2000; 343: 1666–1672.
  • 24
    Manns MP, McHutchison JG, Gordon SC, Rustgi VK, Shiffman M, Reindollar R, Goodman ZD, et al. PEG-Interferon alfa-2b in combination with ribavirin compared to interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin for initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Lancet 2001; 358: 958–965.
  • 25
    Andriulli A, Festa V, Leandro G, Rizzetto M, AIGO members. Usefulness of a liver biopsy in the evaluation of patients with elevated ALT values and serological markers of hepatitis viral infection. Dig Dis Sci 2001; 46: 1409–1415.
  • 26
    Heintges T, Mohr L, Hensel F, Petry W, Borchard F, Haussinger D, Niederau C. Value of liver biopsy prior to interferon therapy for chronic viral hepatitis. Dig Dis Sci 1998; 43: 1562–1565.
  • 27
    Fontana RJ, Lok ASF. Noninvasive monitoring of patients with chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology 2002; 36 (suppl 1): S57–S64.
    Direct Link:
  • 28
    Romagnuolo J, Jhangri GS, Jewell LD, Bain VB. Predicting the liver histology in chronic hepatitis C: How good is the clinician? Am J Gastroenterol 2001; 96: 3165–3174.
    Direct Link:
  • 29
    Renou C, Muller P, Jouve E, Bertrand J-J, Raoult A, Benderriter T, Halfon P. Relevance of moderate isolated thrombopenia as a strong predictive marker of cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virur (letter). Am J Gastroenterol 2001; 96: 1657–1659.
    Direct Link:
  • 30
    Poynard T, Bedossa P. Age and platelet count: a simple index for predicting the presence of histological lesions in patients with antibodies to hepatitis C virus. METAVIR and CLINIVIR Cooperative Study Groups. J Viral Hepat 4: 199–208, 1997.
    Direct Link:
  • 31
    Haber MM, West AB, Haber AD, Reuben A. Relationship of aminotransferases to liver histological status in chronic hepatitis C. Am J Gastroenterol 1995; 90: 1250–1257.
  • 32
    Assy N, Minuk GY. Serum aspartate but not alanine aminotransferase levels help to predict the histological features of chronic hepatitis C viral infections in adults. Am J Gastroenterol 2000; 95: 1545–1550.
    Direct Link:
  • 33
    Reedy DW, Loo AT, Levine RA. AST/ALT ratio ⩾1 is not diagnostic of cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Digest Dis Sci 1998; 43: 2156–2159.
  • 34
    Sheth SG, Flamm SL, Gordon FD, Chopra S. AST/ALT ratio predicts cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Am J Gastroenterol 1998; 93: 44–48.
    Direct Link:
  • 35
    Park GJ, Lin BP, Ngu MC, Jones DB, Katelaris PH. Aspartate aminotransferase: alanine aminotransferase ratio in chronic hepatitis C infection: is it a useful predictor of cirrhosis? J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2000; 15: 386–390.
    Direct Link:
  • 36
    Imperiale T, Said A, Cummings OW, Born LJ. Need for validation of clinical decision aids: use of the AST/ALT ratio in predicting cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis C. Am J Gastroenterol 2000; 95: 2328–2332.
    Direct Link:
  • 37
    Pohl A, Behling C, Oliver D, Kilani M, Monson P, Hassanein T. Serum aminorransferase levels and platelet counts as predictors of degree of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Am J Gastronterol 2001; 96: 3142–3146.
    Direct Link:
  • 38
    Imbert-Bismut F, Ratziu V, Pieroni L, Charlotte F, Benhamou Y, Poynard T. Biochemical markers of liver fibrosis in patients with hepatitis C virus infection: a prospective study. Lancet 2001; 357: 1069–1075.
  • 39
    Metwally MA, Zein CO, Angulo P, Zein NN. A simple non-invasive scoring system for prediction of severe hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C patients [Abstract]. Hepatology 2001; 34: 230A.
  • 40
    Bonacini M, Hadi G, Govindarajan S, Linsday KL. Utility of a discriminant score for diagnosing advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Am J Gastroenterol 1997; 92: 1302–1304.
  • 41
    Fortunato G, Castaldo G, Oriani G, Cerini R, Intrieri M, Molinaro E, Gentile I, et al. Multivariate discriminant function based on six biochemical markers in blood can predict the cirrhotic evolution of chronic hepa titis. Clin Chem 2001; 47: 1696–1700.
  • 42
    Ikeda K, Saitoh S, Kobayashi M, Suzuki Y, Tsubota A, Suzuki F, Arase Y, et al. Distinction between chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis in patients with hepatitis C virus infection: Practical discriminant function using common laboratory data. Hepatol Res 2000; 18: 252–266.
  • 43
    Patel K, McHutchison JG, Oh E, Nguyen P, Rose S. Evaluation and optimization of a panel of serum markers for liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C patients [Abstract]. Gastroenterology 2002; 122 (Suppl 1): M1610.
  • 44
    Williams AL, Hoofnagle JH. Ratio of serum aspartate to alanine amino-transferase in chronic hepatitis: relationship to cirrhosis. Gastroenterology 1988; 95: 734–739.
  • 45
    Wong VS, Baglin T, Beachman E, Wright DD, Petrik J, Alexander GJ. The role for liver biopsy in haemophiliacs infected with the hepatitis C virus. Br J Haematol 1997; 99: 343–347.
    Direct Link:
  • 46
    Thomas DL, Astemborski J, Rai RM, Anania FA, Schaffer M, Galai N, Nolt K, et al. The natural history of hepatitis C virus infection: host, viral, and environmental factors. JAMA 2000; 284: 450–456.
  • 47
    Kenney-Walsh E, for the Irish Hepatology Research Group. Clinical outcomes after hepatitis C infection from contaminated anti-D immune globlin. N Engl J Med 1999; 340: 1228–1233.
  • 48
    Wiese M, Berr F, Lafrenz M, Porst H, Oesen U, for the East German Hepatitis C Study Group. Low frequency of cirrhosis in a hepatitis C (genotype 1b) single-source outbreak in Germany: a 20-year multicenter study. Hepatology 2000; 32: 91–96.
    Direct Link:
  • 49
    Davis GL, Balart LA, Schiff ER, Lindsay K, Bodenheimer HC Jr, Perrillo RP, Carey W, et al. Treatment of chronic hepatitis C with recombinant interferon alfa: a multicenter randomized controlled trial. N Engl J Med 1989; 321: 1501–1506.
  • 50
    Montalto G, Zignego AL, Ruggieri MI, Giannini C, Soresi M, Monti M, Carroccio A, et al. Serum HCV-RNA and liver histologic findings in patients with long-term normal transaminases. Dig Dis Sci 1997; 42: 1703–1707.
  • 51
    Rossini A, Ravaggi A, Agostinelli E, Bericich L, Gazzola GB, Radaeli E, Callea F, et al. Virological characterization and liver histology in HCV positive subjects with normal and elevated ALT levels. Liver 1997; 17: 133–138.
  • 52
    Shakil O, Conry-Cantilena C, Alter HJ, Hayashi P, Keiner DE, Tedeschi V, Krawczynski K, et al. Volunteer blood donors with antibody to hepatitis C virus: clinical, biochemical, virologic, and histologic features. Ann Intern Med 1995; 123: 330–337.
  • 53
    Healey CJ, Chapman RW, Fleming KA. Liver histology in hepatitis C infection: a comparison between patients with persistently normal or abnormal transaminases. Gut 1995; 37: 274–278.
  • 54
    Hoofnagle JH. Hepatitis C: the clinical spectrum of disease. Hepatology 1997; 26 (Suppl 1): 15S–20S.
    Direct Link:
  • 55
    Schiffman ML, Stewart CA, Hofmann CM, Contos MJ, Luketic VA, Sterling RK, Sanyal AJ. Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus in patients with elevated or persistently normal serum alanine aminotransferase levels: comparison of hepatic histology and response to interferon therapy. J Infect Dis 2000; 182: 1595–1601.
  • 56
    Mathurin P, Moussalli J, Cadranel J-F, Thibault V, Charlotte F, Dumouchel P, Cazier A, et al. Slow progression rate of fibrosis in hepatitis C virus patients with persistently normal alanine transaminase activity. Hepatology 1998; 27: 868–872.
    Direct Link:
  • 57
    Wali M, Lewis S, Hubscher S, Harrison R, Ahmed M, Elias E, Mutimer D. Histological progression during short-term follow-up of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. J Viral Hepat 1999; 6: 445–452.
    Direct Link:
  • 58
    Persico M, Persico E, Suozzo R, Conte S, De Sets M, Coppola L, Palmentieri B, et al. Natural history of hepatitis C virus carriers with persistently normal aminotransferase levels. Gastroenterology 2000; 118: 760–764.
  • 59
    Martinot-Peignoux M, Boyer N, Cazals-Hatem D, Pham B-N, Gervais A, Le Breton V, Levy S, et al. Prospective study on anti-hepatitis C virus-positive patients with persistently normal serum alanine transaminase (sic) with or without detectable serum hepatitis C virus RNA. Hepatology 2001; 34: 1000–1005.
    Direct Link:
Get PDF (1034K)