Photo Credit: Mohammed Haneefa Nizamudeen

The following is a summary of “Prediction of hepatic fibrosis using the aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index in children and adolescents with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease,” published in the November 2024 issue of Pediatrics by Jin et al.    

The aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) is a valuable predictor of liver fibrosis in adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Still, the effectiveness of MASLD in children and adolescents has yet to be well studied.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the use of APRI in predicting liver fibrosis severity in children and adolescents with MASLD.  

They reviewed the medical records of 115 patients (78 males, 37 females) aged 7.3 to 18.8 years with MASLD, excluding those with hepatitis B or C infections. The APRI score and liver stiffness were calculated using transient elastography for all patients.  

The results showed that the mean APRI score was 0.46 ± 0.26 (range, 0.16 to 1.57), and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) values ranged from 2.94 to 7.72 kPa. The APRI scores were significantly higher in patients with abnormal LSM (0.40 ± 0.17 vs. 0.64 ± 0.40, P<0.001), APRI showed a weak correlation with LSM (r = 0.354, P<0.001). The area under the curve for APRI in predicting abnormal LSM was 0.650 (95% CI, 0.517–0.784) with a cutoff value of 0.74.  

They concluded that APRI showed a weak correlation with LSM, indicating the need for further research to identify more sensitive non-invasive indicators of hepatic fibrosis in children and adolescents with MASLD.  

Source: bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887-024-05263-3