Performance of Red Cell Distribution Width-to-Platelet Ratio as a Screening Tool of Liver Fibrosis Based on Transient Elastography in Chronic Hepatitis B Infection.

Abstract

Background: Identifying liver fibrosis is crucial for initiating antiviral therapy for hepatitis B infection. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for assessing the degree of fibrosis. However, a liver biopsy is an invasive procedure that carries some risks. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic capabilities of the red cell distribution width-to-platelet ratio (RPR) and compare its efficacy for determining the degree of fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection with that of the aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and the Fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4).

Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted on patients with chronic hepatitis B infection who had transient elastography results at the Gastroenterology Hepatology Clinic, Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, between January and December 2024. Statistical analysis was performed using receiver operating characteristic curves to determine the diagnostic values and cutoff points of the RPR, APRI, and FIB-4 to detect liver fibrosis based on Transient Elastography in patients with Chronic Hepatitis B infection.

Results: A total of 114 patients with chronic hepatitis B infection were included in this study (42 with significant fibrosis and 72 with nonsignificant fibrosis). The area under the curve (AUC) of the RPR was 0.873 (p < 0.001) with a cutoff point of >0.0538, whereas the AUCs of the APRI and FIB-4 were 0.833 (p < 0.001) and 0.746 (p < 0.001), respectively.

Conclusion: The RPR has a higher diagnostic performance than the APRI and is superior to the FIB-4 in assessing the degree of fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. The RPR is a simple and cost-effective test and has the potential to be a screening tool for patients with hepatitis B infection.