Predictive Value of Serum Fibrosis Markers (Endoglin, Leptin and Immunoglobuline) with Liver Histopathology in Patients with Chronic Viral Hepatitis

Objective: This study was performed to investigate the correlation between serum free endoglin, leptin and immunoglobulin levels and hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and evaluate whether these parameters can be used as biochemical and immunological markers for hepatic fibrosis. Material and Methods: Thirty nine CHB and 31 CHC patients admitted to outpatient clinics of Infectious Diseases & Clinical Microbiology and Gastroenterology Departments of Afyon Kocatepe University, Medical Faculty, between January 2007 to June 2008, in whom diagnosis was confirmed by percutaneous liver biopsies, and 35 healthy individuals were included in this study. Serum IgG, IgA, IgM, serum endoglin and leptin levels were investigated in all study groups. Hepatic fibrosis was evaluated by liver biopsies and patients were classified according to stages of fibrosis. Results: Serum IgG and endoglin levels in patients with CHB and IgG, IgM, endoglin and leptin levels in CHC were found to be significantly higher compared to the control group. No correlation was found between stages of fibrosis and serum endoglin levels in CHB patients and serum endoglin plus leptin levels in CHC patients. Conclusion: Endoglin and IgG are useful parameters for determining presence of liver fibrosis in patients with CHB and CHC, but they were not found to be useful for identifying the stage of fibrosis. On the other hand, leptin may indicate hepatic fibrosis in CHC patients but it is not beneficial for staging fibrosis.