Analysis of clinical high-risk factors for hepatitis B cirrhosis confirmed by liver biopsy

Objective To analyze the clinical high- risk factors for hepatitis B cirrhosis confirmed by liver biopsy. Methods A case- control study was conducted on the clinical data collected from 237 patients with chronic hepatitis B who were hospitalized and underwent biopsy from April 2009 to October 2012. These patients included 79 cases confirmed by liver biopsy as having liver cirrhosis ( case group) and 158 cases confirmed by biopsy as not having liver cirrhosis ( control group) . Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the clinical risk factors for liver cirrhosis. In the univariate analysis, comparison of categorical data was made by chi- square test, and comparison of continuous data was made by t test. The indices of statistical significance were subjected to multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results The univariate analysis showed that the case group had significantly increased numbers of male cases and HBeAg- negative cases, age, and aspartate aminotransferase ( AST) , gamma- glutamyl transpeptidase ( GGT) , immunoglobulin G ( IgG) , and hyaluronic acid levels ( P < 0. 05) and significantly decreased albumin ( Alb) , hepatitis B virus DNA, and laminin levels and platelet ( PLT) count ( P < 0. 05) , as compared with the control group. The unconditional multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that increasing age [β = 0. 046, odds ratio ( OR) = 0. 955], elevated GGT level ( β = 0. 04, OR = 0. 96) , and increased IgG level ( β = 0. 179, OR = 0. 836) were high- risk factors for liver cirrhosis, while increased Alb level ( β =- 0. 114, OR = 1. 120) and PLT count ( β =- 0. 024, OR = 1. 024) were protective factors for liver cirrhosis. Conclusion Increasing age, decreased Alb level, elevated GGT level, decreased PLT count, and increased IgG level are high- risk factors for liver cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B whose ALT levels range within 0- 80 U / L. Active monitoring of the above indices, especially PLT, IgG, and GGT, and liver biopsy should be performed if necessary to avoid misdiagnosis of liver cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.