Predicting cirrhosis based on standard laboratory parameters in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Total of 153 patients with chronic Hepatitis C Virus infection was investigated. Patients were classified into three groups: with histologic confirmed liver cirrhosis, clinical advanced cirrhosis, and chronic hepatitis without fibrosis. Activity of aminotransferases (AST, ALT), value of INR and platelet counts were analyzed by SPSS for Windows (version 10.0). Probability of cirrhosis was calculated by HALT-C formula and expressed in percent (http://www.haltctrial.org). Thrombocytopenia was the most important predictive factor for progression/exclusion of cirrhosis. Probability of cirrhosis in patients with histologic cirrhosis, clinical cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis without fibrosis was from 23-93%, 41-98% and 4-65%, respectively. Probability equal/more than 50% had 60%, 90% and 14% of patients from the same groups. In conclusion, liver cirrhosis can be predicted based on standard laboratory parameters in more than half of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. .