Liver Stiffness Reference Values for Healthy Cuban Adults.

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Medical Diagnostics
• Public Health

Background:

• Global variations exist in reference liver stiffness values for healthy individuals.
• Optimal cutoff values for liver stiffness differ across fibrosis stages in chronic liver disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the distribution of liver stiffness in Cuban adults without liver disease.
• To investigate associations between liver stiffness and age, serum uric acid, and body mass index in this population.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involved 110 plasma donors from Havana.
• Liver stiffness was measured using FibroScan elastography.
• Correlations were assessed using the Pearson coefficient, and reference ranges calculated with mean and 95% confidence intervals.

Main Results:

• Observed liver stiffness values ranged from 2.2-6.3 kPa.
• The reference range (95% CI) for healthy Cuban adults was 4.2-4.6 kPa (mean 4.4 kPa).
• Positive correlations were found between liver stiffness and body mass index (r=0.255, p<0.01) and serum uric acid (r=0.266, p<0.01). No correlation with age was observed.

Conclusions:

• The reference range for liver stiffness in healthy Cuban adults is 4.2-4.6 kPa.
• Body mass index and serum uric acid are positively associated with liver stiffness in this population.
• This study provides the first Cuban data on liver stiffness using FibroScan, aiding clinical practice.