Evaluation of the use of the hepatic artery resistive index as predictor of hepatic fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver Disease

• Grant number: 21/08921-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2021
• End date: September 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Giovanni Faria Silva
• Grantee: Guilherme Batista dos Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a clinic-pathological condition that has shown a great increase in its prevalence around the world, with special importance amongst patients with other underlying conditions such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. In this way, the necessity to evaluate the evolution of the disease has grown, with the main purpose being to prevent the progression to severe forms, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. To determine the effectiveness of the hepatic artery resistive index (HARI) in predicting the presence of advanced liver fibrosis. In addition, to evaluate the association of indirect fibrosis methods (FIB-4 and NFS) with HARI. Is it a cross-sectional, retrospective, and observational study? It will be adopted as inclusion criteria: patients older than 18-years-old, with NAFLD and that have been submitted a Doppler ultrasonography and hepatic biopsy with a difference of at most 1 year between both exams. Data will be collected from medical records, regarding the degree of inflammatory activity and fibrosis presented in liver biopsy; biochemical exams to calculate indirect fibrosis markers such as FIB-4 and fibrosis score NFS (NAFLD Fibrosis Score); ultrasonography data including portal vein average speed and HARI. The correlation between the variables will be evaluated, as well as sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the HARI, using the hepatic biopsy as the gold standard and using the statistical software WEKA for the necessary calculations.(AU)